Episode 12 - How An Old Man Lost His Wen

Back of the Bookshelf

Welcome one and all to episode 12 of Back of the Bookshelf, the final episode of our opening season. That's right, everyone, this little podcast of ours has made it to the end of its first year of content and is still going strong. We've uncovered some true literary gems on the journey and we'd like to thank you all for joining us. This time we are proud to present Yei Theodora Ozaki's How An Old Man Lost His Wen for your listening pleasure. It's a punchy little tale of demons and dancing taken from Ozaki's 1903 collection of Japanese fairy tales, The Japanese Fairy Book, which was loosely translated from a work by Sadanami Sanjin. As the child of a Japanese father and English mother, Ozaki had experience of both cultures and was skilled at adapting Japanese texts for a Western audience. Her stories remain highly accessible and in our humble opinion, this is one of the best. Now hold onto your seat as we wave our magic wand and teleport you back to ancient Japan. C.J. Carter-Stephenson is our narrator as usual and the music is by Kevin MacLeod. Sayounara for now.