Hanaca was the
daughter of a samurai who made her wear a strange, wide-brimmed hat that
covered her face.
Her father had
put it on her head just before he died and no one was able to take it off.
Everyone in the
town laughed at Hanaca because of her hat and this made her unhappy.
One day, she
decided she did not want to live in the town any longer, so she left.
She
walked a
long way until she came to a city. There she found work in the Emperor’s
palace.
But again she
was laughed at, and the other palace workers behaved badly toward her.
One day, the
Emperor’s son found Hanaca crying.
He asked her
what was the matter, and when she told him, he felt so sorry for her that he
decided to marry her.
The Emperor was
very angry when he heard about this, and he sent Hanaca away from the palace.
Sadly, she
walked toward the palace gates.
Just as she
reached them, a great wind blew her wide-brimmed hat off her head.
Now everyone
could see her face.
Not only was she
extremely beautiful, but she was wearing many precious jewels in her hair.
Then one of the
Emperor’s ministers realized who she was - the daughter of a famous samurai.
He told the
Emperor who immediately apologized to Hanaca and allowed his son to marry her.
However, Hanaca
decided she did not want to marry the son of an Emperor who had behaved so
badly toward her.
She left the
palace and made a new and happy life for herself elsewhere.