The Tongue-Cut Sparrow Coloring Pages

"The Tongue-Cut Sparrow" is one of Japan's most famous old tales. It is a story about honesty and greed. It shows how the very different actions of a kind old man and a greedy old woman lead to big rewards and punishments.

Story Origin and Theme

This story spread around the Edo period and was mainly passed down by word of mouth. A big feature of the story is how the actions and results for the good person and the bad person are clearly shown.

• Themes and Lessons: The themes of this story are "Honesty pays off" and "Greed brings ruin." The kind actions of the old man are rewarded with wonderful treasures. However, the greedy actions of the old woman lead to a scary result. This teaches us that having a kind heart is much more important than visible treasures.
• Contrasting Characters: The story moves forward through the contrast between two characters: the kind old man and the mean old woman.

Story summary

Once upon a time, a kind-hearted old man and a greedy, mean old woman lived together.

One day, the old man found a hurt sparrow, brought it home, and cared for it very gently. The sparrow grew fond of the old man, and he loved the sparrow dearly, too.

But the old woman was not happy that the old man loved the sparrow. While the old man was away, she got angry because the sparrow ate some starch paste, so she ate it, cut off The Tongue-Cut Sparrow's tongue as a punishment, and chased it away to the mountains.

When the old man got home, he found out the sparrow was gone and was very sad. So, he headed into the mountains to look for The Tongue-Cut Sparrow.

Deep in the mountains, the old man found the Sparrow's Inn. The sparrows were grateful for his kindness, so they welcomed him with songs, dances, and a big feast.

When it was time to say goodbye, the sparrows showed two woven wicker boxes, one big and one small, and said, "Please take whichever one you like." The old man chose the small wicker box, saying, "The smaller one will be easier to carry home."

When he went home and opened the wicker box, there were lots of gold and silver treasures inside.

The greedy old woman saw this and wanted to get treasure for herself too, so she went to The Tongue-Cut Sparrow's home. She chose the big wicker box as if it were the natural thing to do. She could not wait until she got home, so she opened the box on her way back. Then, scary monsters and poisonous bugs jumped out of it, and the old woman had a terrible time.

The old man gently taught the old woman that being too greedy is wrong, and they lived together reflecting on what happened after that.

When you color, the trick is to use colors to show the grand sparrow's inn and the very different endings for the old man and the old woman in The Tongue-Cut Sparrow.

Basic Coloring Tips

• Old Man:
  • Kimono: Color it with simple colors (like light brown or gray) to highlight his kind expression. Using gentle colors will show the old man's warm heart.
• Old Woman:
  • Kimono: Color it with dark colors or deep shades (like dark brown or purple) to show her mean expression. This will really show her greed.
• Sparrow:
  • Body: Carefully color the bird in real sparrow colors like brown, white, and black. Make sure to show its kind face and cute look!
• Background:
  • Bamboo grove: Color it with bright green and dark green to show the life of nature!

Colors of Special Items

• Wicker basket:
  • Small wicker box (the old man's treasure): Paint it dark brown, and make the treasures inside shine sparkly with gold and silver!
  • Large wicker box (the old woman's punishment): Paint it black or dark gray. Paint the monsters coming out inside with scary colors (like bright red or purple) to make them look super spooky!
• Monsters:
  • If you color monsters like snakes and demons with bright, creepy colors (like neon colors, dark green, or red), they will look even scarier!
• Glue:
  • If you color the paste that the sparrow ate in dark black or dark green, everyone can tell it's the food that made the old woman so angry!

Tips to enjoy your coloring page!

• Express yourself freely!
  • If you draw fine highlights of light on top of gold for the gold coins overflowing from the kind old man's chest, they will look even more like dazzling treasure. Feel free to express yourself!
• Have fun with contrasts!
  • If you use dark and light colors to show the grandfather’s big smile and the grandmother’s scared face, the story’s lesson stands out and your picture will come alive!