Easingwold Methodist Church sent us these pictures which were drawn to be shown alongside the story in the JMA 'Sharing the Light' service. The story is at the bottom of the page!

Long ago in Japan lived an old man named Hamaguchi. His farmhouse was on the side of mountain which sloped down to the sea. At the foot of the mountain was a village of a hundred or so thatched houses and a temple.

One late summer afternoon Hamaguchi was sitting on his balcony looking down at the village below. All the villagers were out celebrating the good rice harvest that year, the streets were decorated with brightly coloured paper lanterns and streamers and they were wearing festive clothing too. The dancing was about to begin. Hamaguchi looked out to sea  - it was a beautiful blue under the mid-day sun. Suddenly there was a rocking feeling, then a bit stronger and the whole house seemed to shake. Hamaguchi knew exactly what it was, an earthquake, he'd experienced many in his lifetime so he wasn't at all frightened, until he looked again at the sea.

The seas had changed colour and the tide had changed, the water was being sucked out from the shore. The villagers stopped their dancing and ran to the beach to watch. No-one knew what this strange happening was. But the old man on the mountain did. He remembered something from his childhood. He knew what the sea was going to do. He must hurry - there was no time to run down to the village and ring the bell in the temple, he had to do something NOW!

'Quick,' he called to Yone his grandson, ‘light a torch from the fire and follow me.’
What on earth was Grandfather up to? Yone didn't stop to ask any questions, but did what Hamaguchi said. The old man ran with his flaming torch to his rice stacks - all of his harvest and all of his wealth - and he set fire to each of them. The dry stalks went up in flames quickly and soon they were all ablaze. 'What are you doing?' Yone yelled and he started to cry. The watcher in the temple saw the fire and rang the big bell. In Japan as soon as the temple bell rings it is known that there is danger and if there is a fire ALL must help. As soon as the villagers heard the bell they turned from the sea and saw the fires on the mountainside, they ran like a swarm of ants in a race to put out the flames. By the time they reached Hamaguchi's place it was too late and all the rice was gone.

'How did it happen?' the people cried. 'Grandfather did it,' Yone said through his tears. 'Why? Why do such a thing? Are you crazy?' 

'Look' said the old man. 'Look at the sea.' And then they saw the great wall of water sweeping across the very place where they had been standing on the shore, rushing faster than a bird flies. The noise was like thunder and the wave hit the side of the mountain and they were all drenched in spray. The waves came again, and again, but finally they slowed and the people were left speechless. Their fields had been torn and churned up. Their entire village was washed away. Nothing was left. But everyone was safe on the mountainside amongst Hamaguchi's burnt out rice stacks.
Then they realised what he had done for them.