Japanese

A proud rabbit races a slow tortoise and dashes ahead, then naps under a tree. The tortoise keeps going steadily without stopping and crosses the finish line while the rabbit sleeps. Slow and steady wins the race.

Yui finds a golden pencil that brings her drawings to life. After drawing treats for herself, she sees her friend Kenta crying over a torn school backpack and draws him a new one. The pencil shines brighter than ever — the real magic is helping others.

On New Year’s Eve, a poor old man fails to sell any of his handmade straw hats. On the snowy way home he places them on six stone Jizo statues to keep them warm, using his own towel for the last one. That night, the Jizo statues leave rice, rice cakes and vegetables at the couple’s door. A classic Japanese folktale.

Ho, a baby owl, is afraid of the dark. His father takes him on a night flight to hear bell crickets and frogs, smell night-blooming flowers and see the stars. Finding no ghosts, Ho flies a little on his own and discovers the night is full of wonders.

A hungry dog finds a bone and, crossing a bridge, sees his reflection holding another bone. Greedy for both, he barks and drops his own bone into the river. He goes home hungry, having learned that greed leads to loss.

On Tanabata (July 7), Sota decides what to write on his paper wish strip for the bamboo branch. Grandma tells the legend of the star lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi, who meet once a year across the Milky Way. Instead of toys, Sota wishes for his grandfather in the hospital to get well — and a week later, Grandpa comes home.

Robo-kun the robot can do every chore but can’t laugh. Miku and Riku try jokes, funny faces and tickles with no luck. Then their puppy Pochi slips on a banana peel and tumbles into a cardboard box, the kids burst out laughing, and Robo-kun laughs for the first time.

Mei’s grandfather gives her a seed. She’s frustrated when nothing appears, but he explains seeds need water, sunshine and time. She cares for it daily until it grows into a sunflower taller than her. Good things take time.

An ant falls into a river and a dove saves her by dropping a leaf. Days later, the ant sees a hunter about to net the dove and bites his foot, so the dove escapes. A retelling of the classic Aesop fable.

Penta the penguin is always cold, even in a hat, scarf and three pairs of socks. He sails off on an ice boat — which melts — to a sunny beach, but it’s soon far too hot. He returns home with a hot-water bottle and sleeps snugly with his family.