Once there was a man and a woman who longed to have a child. They prayed and prayed, and eventually the gods sent them a baby boy. He was a fine, healthy baby, but he never grew, and so they called him Little One Inch.

When he was old enough, his parents sent Little One Inch out into the world, armed with a needle instead of a sword.

He sailed down the river to the capital, Kyoto, using a rice bowl as a boat and chopsticks as oars. There he was taken in by a family that lived in a big house. The family thought he was cute.

One day Little One Inch went on a journey with the daughter of the house, who was fond of him. They were attacked by an ogre, who wanted to steal the girl away.

"You'll have to deal with me first!" Little One Inch shouted, waving his needle in the air.

The ogre laughed, seized Little One Inch, and swallowed him whole.

Inside the ogre's stomach, Little One Inch stabbed with his needle until the ogre coughed him up. Then he jabbed the needle in the Ogre's eye. The ogre howled with pain and ran away, dropping a small metal object as he did so.

"It's a magic hammer that grants wishes," cried the girl, snatching it up.

"Then hit me with it, and see if it'll make me grow," said Little One Inch.

The girl gave him a terrific smack on the head and he began to grow... Soon Little One Inch was a tall, handsome young samurai whom any girl would be pleased to marry.