Story - The Good Woman: The Shadow on the Wall

A poor peasant had to leave his home and go off to war. His young wife knew it was her duty to care for his mother, their small son, the home and their land. (1)

While the husband was away, in order to comfort the child the wife pointed to her own shadow on the wall, and instructed the little boy to greet that shadow every night as his father.

When the husband returned from the war and his wife went out to get offerings to thank Buddha for his safe return, the child told the father that he saw another father every night. When the wife returned, the jealous husband flew into a rage, accused her of infidelity, and refused to believe her protests of innocence.(2)He beat her severely and took the child away.(3) The woman was miserable and did not know what to do.(4)

That evening in the lamplight, when the child greeted his father's shadow on the wall, the husband realized his grave mistake. By this time however the distraught woman, unaware of the source of his anger, had drowned herself to prove her innocence.(5)The anguished husband prayed that her soul recognize his repentance and sorrow, and find some peace.(6)

1. The Good Woman is accepting, acquiescent, and under her husband's control.

2. The Good Woman will do whatever he requires of her.

3. Despite her goodness, the husband usually suspects her of being unworthy, disloyal, unfaithful, or unacceptable in some other way.

4. The husband punishes the Good Woman by shunning her, casting her out, or in some cases killing her.

5. The Good Woman suffers greatly.

6. She may lose her beauty, her health, her social position, her children, or her life.

7. At the end of the story, the man realizes his mistake and restores the Good Woman (or her memory if she is dead) into his good graces.