Tsukumodo:Volume 3 Puppet

The good you do for others is good you do yourself.

Most likely, this proverb is trying to say that you should help others as much as you can because it will eventually serve yourself. I'm not going to disagree and say that it's wrong to help others out of greed for a reward.

However, you should always keep in mind that the "good" you do for others may also backfire and turn out bad for you at times. And not only for yourself, but also for the people around you.

Don't forget to think it through before you force your help upon someone.

Well, if I told her that, she would surely ask, "And what about you?"

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The two of us, devoid of the power to dream, thought up our own dreamlike tale with clumsy words, absorbed in our own little world.

We would escape from the western and eastern town and go somewhere far away where no one knew us.

We would be surrounded by lots of puppets that we would wind up every day and live happily with.

I would learn the craft of tailoring and make pretty clothes for them, and on nice days, I would take them for a walk.

"Do I get none?" he would sulk. "Of course I'll make yours first," I would reply.

"You can't take all of them with you at once," he would worry. "Then let's decide on an order so that there won't be any quarreling," I would reply.

And one day we would become human and have children and give them puppets for their birthdays every year, we said as we weaved that ephemeral fairy-tale.

It was a dreamlike tale we raved about, indeed. A tale as valuable and as fragile as a dream, that would never come true.

"Would you... say my name ten times?" I asked him from the other side of the firmly locked door.

To alleviate the fear.

To hear his voice while I was still able to.

To bid farewell.

"And as soon as you have called my name ten times, you will forget about me. Its a... command!"

He remained silent for a while, but eventually he started calling my name.

"Ageha," he said, fulfilling my wish.

"Ageha," he said, savoring the name as much as he could.

"Ageha," he said, fighting against the tears.

"Ageha," he said, bracing himself.

"Ageha," he said, trying to comfort me with all his might.

"Ageha," he said, clearly.

"Ageha," he said, dearly.

"Ageha," he said, tenderly.

"Ageha," he said, as if it were a dream.

And then—