Stories From Now And Then: Short Stories for Kids
Jun 27, 2026 · 18 min · 6 segments
Nicola recounts the magical tale of Momotaro, the peach boy! Adapted from the age-old Japanese Folk Tale. Blunderface learns more about cats (doesn't he always?) Visit us at…
Do you know, I had never heard this story before, but I've now read a couple of versions of it, and I really like it.
I hope you do as well.
Here we go.
Long, long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman.
They worked very hard all day long.
The old man used to go and cut the grass for the farmers nearby, and the old woman, his wife, looked after their house and their own little rice field.
One day, the old man went to the hills as usual to cut the grass, and the old woman took some clothes to the river to wash.
The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald velvet, and the pussy willows along the edge of the water were shaking out their soft tassels.
The old couple, for some reason they could not explain, felt very happy that morning.
At last, the old woman found a nice spot by the riverbank and put her basket down.
Then she set to work washing the clothes.
The water was as clear as crystal, and she could see the tiny fish swimming to and fro and the pebbles at the bottom.
As she was busy washing, a great peach came floating down the stream.
The old woman looked up from her work and saw it.
She was 60 years old, yet in all her life she had never seen such a big peach as this.
"How delicious that peach must be," she said to herself.
"I must take it home to my old man." And that is what she did.
When her husband came home from work, she brought out the peach and held it up to him, saying, "Just look at this.
Did you ever see such a large peach in all your life?" When the old man looked at the peach, he was greatly astonished and said, "This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen.
Wherever did you buy it?" "I did not buy it," answered the old woman.
"I found it in the river where I was washing." "Let us eat it now, for I am hungry," said the old man.
He brought out a kitchen knife and, placing the peach on a cutting board, was about to cut into it when the peach split in two all by itself, and out stepped a beautiful little child.
The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw that they fell to the ground.
But the child said to them, "Don't be afraid.
Do you know, I had never heard this story before, but I've now read a couple of versions of it, and I really like it.
I hope you do as well.
Here we go.
Long, long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman.
They worked very hard all day long.
The old man used to go and cut the grass for the farmers nearby, and the old woman, his wife, looked after their house and their own little rice field.
One day, the old man went to the hills as usual to cut the grass, and the old woman took some clothes to the river to wash.
The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald velvet, and the pussy willows along the edge of the water were shaking out their soft tassels.
The old couple, for some reason they could not explain, felt very happy that morning.
At last, the old woman found a nice spot by the riverbank and put her basket down.
Then she set to work washing the clothes.
The water was as clear as crystal, and she could see the tiny fish swimming to and fro and the pebbles at the bottom.
As she was busy washing, a great peach came floating down the stream.
The old woman looked up from her work and saw it.
She was 60 years old, yet in all her life she had never seen such a big peach as this.
"How delicious that peach must be," she said to herself.
"I must take it home to my old man." And that is what she did.
When her husband came home from work, she brought out the peach and held it up to him, saying, "Just look at this.
Did you ever see such a large peach in all your life?" When the old man looked at the peach, he was greatly astonished and said, "This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen.
Wherever did you buy it?" "I did not buy it," answered the old woman.
"I found it in the river where I was washing." "Let us eat it now, for I am hungry," said the old man.
He brought out a kitchen knife and, placing the peach on a cutting board, was about to cut into it when the peach split in two all by itself, and out stepped a beautiful little child.
The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw that they fell to the ground.
But the child said to them, "Don't be afraid.
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