Once, in the Lotris province of ancient Japan, there lived a poor laborer. Due to his father's gambling debts to the local samurai lord, he had been forced to sell off most of his family's land. The laborer was allowed to keep just enough land to raise a small harvest of rice, which he sold for a small profit that went directly into the lord's coffers

After working all day in these small rice paddies, the he would go out hunting or fishing in order to bring food to his family. Although this was enough to get by, they lived in a constant state of poverty and debt. His family had little money with which to buy clothes or household goods, and if the poor man ever failed to bring home food from his hunting, they would go hungry that night.