The Aged Mother

by Matsuo Bashō

Also known as The Story of the Aged Mother, this Japanese folktale tells the story of an unkind ruler who issues cruel orders, including one demand that all old folks are to be abandoned and left to die. Basho tells a poignant story about a mother and her son and their love for one another.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Japan, 17th Century

10 pages, ebook

About the author

Known Japanese poet Matsuo Basho composed haiku, infused with the spirit of Zen.

The renowned Matsuo Bashō (松尾 芭蕉) during his lifetime of the period of Edo worked in the collaborative haikai no renga form; people today recognize this most famous brief and clear master.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsuo_...

Reviews

[Ahmed Ejaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the moral.

[HR Habibur Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one from here.

[VLE · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

Likes the moral but it could’ve been said better and impactful.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Aged Mother is an incredibly sweet Japanese folk tale, well worth the short amount of time it takes to read. It reminds us all of the wisdom that comes with age, the importance of all forms of wisdom, and demonstrates the love between mother and child perfectly.

I would recommend this for anyone looking for an uplifting folk tale, for themselves or their children.

[◈ ɣεɾɑ ◈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really heartwarming story of familial love and the length of what that loved one will go to, in order to save someone.

Though the characters aren't very developed, the story is meant to be more of a moral tale.

[Pragya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Very short 17th century Japanese fable. Society needs the strength of youth and the wisdom of age.

Read 1/31/26

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

That governor is such a dick. Kill all the old people because he's uncomfortable with the idea of aging? Harsh, dude.

So this youth tries to obey the orders and carries his mother on his back up to the top of a mountain, intending to leave her there (out of sight, out of mind, I guess). But the mother's more worried about her kid getting lost on the way back down, so as they climb, she's snapping off branches and leaving them in little piles so her son has a trail to follow back home. When he sees what his mother has done for him, he realizes he can't just leave her there to die (you would hope he would've realized that sooner, but at least he finally got it), so he takes her home and stuffs her in a closet under the floorboards for the next few months.

Then the governor gets stupid again and demands that his subjects present him with a rope of ashes. Everyone freaks out because nobody knows how to make such a thing... except for the old lady under the floor. She gives her son instructions, he makes a rope of ashes, and the governor is amazed. The kid--perhaps stupidly--can't contain himself and blurts out that his old mother told him how to do it... at which point the governor, who hasn't shown any sort of intelligence or compassion up to that point, realizes that, hey, maybe old people are good for something after all! So he abolishes the law about leaving old people on mountains to die. (Presumably, the old lady got to come out from under the floor... but story doesn't actually say.)

This story very much has the feel of a folktale. I can't say that I really enjoyed it. The translation I read was pretty rough, and the story itself is just... well, kind of cruel. I know there have been despots over the centuries, but this guy's edicts just seemed so arbitrary. Did he follow his own rules and off his own parents? How old was he himself? (In other words, should he have been left out on a mountain himself?) In any case, he was entirely unpleasant... so much so that I question his quick turnaround at the end.

This isn't my favourite short story. It's interesting to read something this old, but I don't know if I'd want to bother reading it again. (If the subject matter weren't so awful, this style of story might almost make a better children's picture book. But I don't know if we want to give little kids the idea that it's okay to abandon granny on the top of a mountain.)

[Tsering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk with myself when reading the book.

At first: Wait what? Basho writes short stories too, so ignorant (I thought)
Then: I am loving this story. Oh yes..
After a while: I am pretty sure, I know this story. YES! This is in one of my grade school subject.
Finally: This is the one, still loved it. But its definitely altered.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is beautiful and so Japanese. The culture drips across the story and relates the strong bond between mother and son! I fully intend to read more of this author! 3.5 stars.

[K. Anna Kraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have arranged my takeaway thoughts into a haiku:

"Madness with power
Distills reluctant rebels
From humble people."

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it had its moments, I feel like the story over all wasn't really telling anything beyond a simple morality play.

[Amilam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and clever story with an apt moral.

[Boghiu Andrei · Rating 2 out of 5]

O banalitate care avea altă valoare atunci când a fost scrisă (acum sute de ani), această povestire japoneză e mai mult ridicolă decât necesară cumva sau cuiva. Dar are un punct forte: se citește în 5 minute și te poți considera câștigat cu o nouă lectură, indiferent de calitatea ei. Temele sunt câteva, e adevărat, printre care iubirea, altruismul, înțelepciunea sau naivitatea, dar sunt evidențiate într-un mod stângaci și neinteresant.

~ 2 ~

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest I haven't heard of Matsuo Basho before, I was simply looking for a short story for a short bus ride.

The story is based an a tale, so it might be familiar. It wasn't for me.

The story tells the story of a man living in a small rural town in Japan with his old mother. One day the government decided to get rid of the old. They should be abandoned and so the man carried her up a hill where he wanted to leave her to die..... But don't be fooled, it ain't a sad story!

4,5/5

[Kezia]

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS/CW/TW; mass murder of old people (nongraphic); despotic ruler (do you see a connection?) - some descicision about to obey, or not obey, the government

MESSAGES; act wisely - living for a while can make someone wiser in their counsel

WRITING & CONCLUSION; I found the writing style to be clean and easy to understand . I liked the messages, and the imagery felt nice too.

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story about a son and his mother, with a cruel emporer who tried to tear them apart. In the end, wisdom won over strength, showing all that minds and hearts can be changed if you perservere in your beliefs.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retirement Japanese style.

[Parna _darklina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story.

[Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of legend seem to have minimalized plot points. As well as reckless behavior. Is it a thing of the times, or is it just the narrative structure?

[Juergen John Roscher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short Japanese folktale of a son's love for his mother - “With the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom!”

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The translation was a bit poor and clunky. A very Confucian tale.

[Lilia Mayez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on Americanliterature.com, really random but I’m so glad he found away around the horrendous law

[Lady Riviera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, meaningful, and centered on a strong moral about filial piety.

[no1likemef]

I genuinely read this accidently but it was a cute short story yet again for kids.

[Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

this ended happier than i thought it would. pleasantly surprised.

[Chaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was short and sweet, something you read to your kid before bedtime

[ree · Rating 2 out of 5]

+ 0.5

[Scarlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

“with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom”

[يوسف عبداللطيف · Rating 3 out of 5]

None