On Momotaro, Libraries, and RPGs

You know, it has always been true that librarians are puppeteers’ best friends. Not only do they open up their doors and hire you to come in and perform but they also seem to stock every puppet book ever written! So naturally, when I’m writing the script for Momotaro, I got online and ordered up a few versions of the fable.

I am surprised that in all three, the oni enter the picture only at the very end of the story. They are merely spoken of as particularly bad raiders and brutes…and in most cases, we don’t even hear about them until Momotaro announces that he’s off to fight them. It’s actually a bit like a roleplaying game:
GM: (reading the character sheet) So, you came from a peach, huh? I see you’ve min-maxed yourself for strength. Ok, I approve your character. One day you hear of terrible Oni monsters off on an island.
Player 1: “Mother, Father, I’m off to fight the oni!”
GM: Your parents tearfully see you off. Your mother gives you some food.
Player 1: I walk away from the village.
GM: You find a dog.
Player 1: “Hi Dog, you look like a good fighter. I’ll share my food with you if you’ll come on this adventure with me.”
Player 2: “I’d love to!”
GM: You 2 walk on. You find a Monkey.
Player 1: “Hi Monkey, you look like a good fighter. I’ll share my food with you if you’ll come on this adventure with me.”
Player 3: “I’d love to!”
GM: You 3 walk on. You find a bird.
Player 1: “Hi bird, you look like a good fighter. I’ll share my food with you if you’ll come on this adventure with me.”
Player 4: “I’d love to!”
GM: You 4 walk on and come to the sea shore. Roll for perception.
Player 1: Natural 20!
GM: You just happen to find a boat…you all get in and sail to Oni Island. They’re waiting for you. They all wield their iron clubs. Everyone roll initiative.
Sorta fits the formula, doesn’t it? Don’t worry…I think in my version the audience is gonna get to see an oni raid. Actions speak louder than words, and I’d much rather show the audience why it’s so important for this strong young man to rush off to fight the Oni, than have him just announce it one day like a bolt from the blue.
Plus I dreamed up a nifty joke for the Oni raid. Oh! I just gotta use it!