The Meddlesome Gods #1 - The Grinning God

So I thought I'd translate a book of short stories that I'm reading. They're by Shinichi Hoshi, a pioneer in the field of what's called "the short-short story". It's only 4 pages long. I might do another one from the book later. Enjoy!

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The Grinning God

Once upon a time, there existed a small village somewhere. The lives of the villagers were uneventful. To one and all, it was neither good, nor bad.

And so, in the village there lived a man. "No matter what I do, I'll never be rich", he said as he passed the time. However, this wasn't because he was lazy. In short, he had a half-hopeful, half-resigned frame of mind. No different from anyone else, everyday he simply continued his work in the fields.

However, one day, as the man casually struck the riverbank with his hoe, he met a strange resistance. Seized by curiosity, he dug it out and washed it, only to find a small, wooden figure. As he stared at it, he mumbled to himself, "What's this boring thing? No matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like it'll sell well. Maybe I'll just use it as kindling. Even so, it does have a bizarre face."

The figure looked as if it were grinning. Had it been an austere or a virtuous face, it might have made for a better story and he might have been able to sell it. But with that innocent, joyful face, it was hopeless.

Just then, a voice spoke from somewhere.

"How impertinent. Saying that you're going to make me into kindling, and that I have a bizarre face..."

The man blinked and then looked around him. There wasn't a soul around. From the content of the remark, it seemed to be referring to him. Moving his eyes to the statue in his hand, the voice spoke again.

"Yup. That's me speaking."

"I'm shocked. That a wooden carving like this spoke...."

"You could say that I'm just taking shelter in this figure, that this figure is an my incarnation. In other words, I am the figure, and the figure is me."

"I don't really understand that, but I do understand that you seem to be a figure. Still, what in the world are you?"

"I'm a god."

The man replied with suspicion, "Sure, it's convenient for you to assert that you're a god given the situation, but a wooden carving like this..."

"What a fool. If I was an ordinary wooden carving, and if I'd been buried in the dirt for such a long time, wouldn't I have rotted? Try putting me on the fire. I'll never burn. Proof that I'm a god."

If you put it that way, it might be true. Just as the man nodded in agreement, his lifelong wish came to mind. Maybe it could be granted. Even if it's a hopeless endeavor, I'll be none the worse for it. There's value in trying.

The man took the figure home and enshrined it in his home's alcove. Then, he reverently expressed his desire. "Lord, please make me a man of means."

"Alright. Leave it to me."

The god had immediately complied. So, he's a god of luck, then? However, it was a little too simple. He couldn't help but be a little incredulous. The man decided that he shouldn't expect much.

Soon, the harvest season arrived, and again, the typhoon came. However, it turned out to be a streak of good luck. The man had finished his harvest just a single day earlier. The man had avoided disaster, and the other villagers had suffered damages both great and small.

This was an opportunity, and everything started to take a turn for the better. The villagers relied on him for finances, and so the man took and lent with a high interest. He'd started to make money. At first, it was only little by little, but depending on the size of the loan...

He told the god, "I should probably say that this is all thanks to you. My fortune continues to grow."

"Of course. That's my power."

"I concede that it is your power. And so, how shall I give thanks?"

"Don't even worry about that sort of thing. But how about this? If you allowed others to worship me as well..."

Although the god had made a suggestion, the man panicked and waved his hands.

"Don't be ridiculous. We can't have that."

"I guess you're right. That might be better. It was like that in the last house I was in, as well."

"I didn't know about that. Did you make them rich, too?"

"It should scarcely need saying, That's what I live for."

The man calmed down, and then began to panic again. He felt assured by the effects of the god's power, but the fact that the previous owners had lost possession of this god concerned him. At that, he moved the figure to from the alcove to a newly built storehouse. This way it wouldn't be stolen or prayed to by the other villagers.

Having hid the figure, the man's fortune grew and grew. The interest on his loans came in one payment after another. Furthermore, he established a monopoly on goods coming into the village. For as you know, a god was a work.

The man prostrated himself before the statue and spoke.
"All is by your good graces. From this tract of land, to the mountain and forest--no matter what, it falls into my grasp. I've started to be called the head of this village."

"I'm also very pleased!" the figure answered with its grinning face.

"How gracious of you. I had no idea that the true powers of a luck god were this wonderful."

"You're welcome, but I think there seems to be a misunderstanding. Although my powers are indeed wonderful, I'm not the kind of luck god you think I am!"

"No need for jokes. This fortune that you've given me--if you're not a god of luck, then what are you?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. Still, at any rate, you're a gracious god," the man said with an unchanging smile on his face. The god replied with the same, innocent grin as always.

"I'm a god of poverty. As people suffer, they become impoverished. To see this makes me happier than anything else. However, I've thoroughly tasted and enjoyed my fill, so soon we will part. Even if I wanted to savor it a bit more, the villagers have already hit rock bottom. Momentarily, a group of rioting villagers will close in on you. They'll lay waste to this house, and then probably throw me out by the river with the rest of this junk. Imagining what kind of jerk will pick me up next... It's almost too funny for me to bear."

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Okay, so it's pretty rough. Please leave me some constructive comments if you have the time (strangely worded sections, unclear parts). Thanks!