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This work is based on Ogawa Mimei's fairy tale "Red Candle and Mermaid".
A mermaid conceived with a child lived in a dark sea in the north. She felt sorry for her child because the sea is too lonely. She heard that humans have a gentle heart and the town is a fun place, so she went to a shrine in the seaside town, gave birth, and left the child there to be found by someone.
The next morning, the abandoned child was picked up by an old couple who owned a candle shop. The child was brought up very well and grew up to be a beautiful young lady. When the daughter drew a red picture on a white candle, it was quickly favored and the candle shop thrived. When going out fishing in the sea, by lighting the candle given to the shrine a ship was able to return safely even if the ocean was stormy. It became increasingly popular.
A peddler who heard the story asked the old couple to sell their daughter. The old couple did not let go of their daughter at first, but blinded by the saying, "mermaids are sinister" and faced with big money in front of them, they decided to let go of her. The daughter begged to stay with the couple, but they did not listen. On a bright night of a certain month, the daughter left a candle that was dyed red and was taken away.
(Tomohito Matsushita)
