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Princess Mononoke Film ComicMy Neighbor Totoro, Chapter 4:
Mei is Lost
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"My Neighbor Totoro" is a classic Japanese children's film by Hayao Miyazaki about a magical forest-creature named Totoro, who lives near a family with two young girls that has just moved to the neighorhood.
I borrowed a children's book made from the movie from my Japanese teacher, and I have translated it here. This is part four, "Mei is Lost".
You may prefer the version with Japanese.
Chapter 4: Mei is Lost
Summer vacation had begun. Today, the two of them were helping the little old granny.
Corn, cucumbers, and tomatos... Tomorrow, Mother was coming home and they would give her fresh vegetables to eat.
"She's gotten a lot better, so she's able to come home in only two nights."
Both Satsuki and Mei looked like they could hardly contain their happiness.
Granny also smiled and nodded.
"We must make sure she eats plenty of these to get well. Things from my field have soaked up the sunshine, so they're very healthy."
"I'm going to take her some corn I picked myself!" said Mei.
Kanta came running up with a telegram.
It was from the Shichikokuyama Hospital where Mother had gone.
"Something has happened to Mommy. We have to tell Daddy."
Satsuki, with Kanta guiding, went to borrow a phone. Mei, still holding an ear of corn in her arms, ran after them.
When she called the university, Father said, "All right. I'll try phoning the hospital right away. Wait right there because I may be able to get more information."
"Oh Mommy, what could have happened? I hope you're all right." thought Satsuki, her heart pounding as she waited for her father's return call.
When Mei finally got there, Satsuki was just on the phone with Father, and then they started trudging down the road.
"They say Mommy has caught a cold, so her coming home is postponed."
At Satsuki's words, Mei stood still and yelled. "No!"
"There's nothing we can do about it. Overdoing would make her sickness worse, and that would be awful."
But Mei still would not listen. "NOOOO!" She was stubborn.
Satsuki flew into a rage and yelled back "It would be all right with you if she even died, then? Stupid, stupid! When you're like this I don't even want to know you!"
"You're the one who's stupid!" yelled Mei, and she started crying loudly.
It was getting late in the afternoon when Granny came over to help.
"Cheer up. Your father said he'll visit the hospital, and she'll get over that nasty old cold right away," said Granny, comforting Satsuki as she washed the rice
"That's what they said before. It seemed like a cold and she'd only be in the hospital a short time... Mommy might even die..."
As she looked intently at the house, Satsuki's eyes brimmed over with tears.
"She'll be all right. Don't cry, don't cry."
In spite of this comfort, Satsuki kept crying. Mei was steadily watching her.
No long after, Mei left the house looking very determined, clutching the corn in her arms.
When Satsuki and Granny noticed that Mei was gone, it was getting late in the day.
"A while ago, Mei and I had a quarrel. She might have gone to Mommy's hospital. I'm going to look for her." said Satsuki.
Granny too was very flustered. "Kanta, tell everyone! Little Mei has disappeared!"
"Meiii! Meiii!" called Satsuki, running down the road to Shichikokuyama. She asked everyone she saw, but no-one had seen Mei. No doubt Mei had gotten lost on the way to the hospital.
(Mei, where did you go? It's my fault. I said such a mean thing to you...)
Satsuki felt like crying when she stared at the sunset sky. As she was returning on the road, Kanta came up.
"Kanta, is Mei back?" asked Satsuki, and Kanta shook his head.
"I came toward Shichikokoyama to tell you to come back. They found a little girl's sandal in Shinike Pond."
"Oh no!"
"We wanted to ask if it could be Mei's."
Satsuki started running before Kanta finished speaking.
Mei, Mei, don't die! Satsuki's feet were blistered and bleeding. She took off her sandals and kept on running barefoot.
She ran and ran, finally reaching Shinike Pond where a large crowd had gathered.
When she saw Satsuki coming, Granny ran to her with a small sandal. "Here, here it is."
Granny's hands were shivering and trembling.
Satsuki looked intently at the sandal.
"No, it's not M-Mei's." said Satsuki, slumping down in exhaustion.
That was a relief. But where was Mei? What should she do now? All sorts of things ran through her head.
Suddenly she looked up, and she could see the great Camphor Tree of Tsuka forest.
Of course. Totoro was there. Satsuki ran, squeezing out the last drop of her strength, to the thicket where the "tunnel" was.
That is, the tunnel where Mei had met Totoro once before.
"Oh please, take me to Totoro. Mei is lost," called Satsuki to the thicket, and she plunged into the tunnel.
At the other end of the dark tunnel she could see a red light. She ran towards it.
She tripped on something and thought she was going to fall, but at that instant she went right through the center of the light. She landed with a "boing" on something soft.
She was on top of Totoro's stomach.
"Totoro! I'm looking for Mei! Please help!" When she said this, Totoro held her up in his big paws.
"BUORORORORO!..." he roared as loud as the wind. His feather-light body floated up into the air. Satsuki, still carried in his arms, was carried in a bound to the top of the huge Camphor Tree.
"GUOOOOH!" When Totoro gave a powerful roar, something answered from a long way off.
"MEOOOOW!" It was the Catbus. It came running towards them with amazing energy.
Here and there, one could see the forms of village people who were helping to look for Mei.
The Catbus went by right before their eyes. But how could this be? Nobody noticed it.
"Nobody can see it." said Satsuki in amazement, and while she was saying this the Catbus ran up the Tsuka forest tree and stopped in front of them.
"Ok now, get on", Totoro's nod seemed to say.
Satsuki got on the Catbus with her heart pounding. The floor and seats were soft and fluffy, covered with cat fur. The destination sign read "Mei." Suddenly it began running.
Through field and forest it ran with astounding speed. It even ran on top of the telephone wires.
About then, Mei was by a far-away Jizo statue, feeling
discouraged. She was already worn out.
[Note: Jizo is the Buddhist guardian of children
and travelers.]
"Meiii--" It seemed to Mei that she could hear Satsuki calling, and she stood up.
"Satsuki! Satsuki." The tears she had been holding back overflowed all at once.
"Mei, here I am!" Mei looked up in surprise at where the voice was coming from. She was so surprised that she completely stopped crying.
The reason was that the Catbus, with Satsuki inside, suddenly leaped down from the telephone wires.
"Mei!"
"Satsuki!"
The two hugged each other tightly.
"You just wanted to take the corn to Mommy, didn't you?"
Mei nodded at Satsuki's words.
Before they noticed it, the Catbus had changed its destination sign.
"Shichikokuyama Hospital.... You mean, you'll take us to Mommy's hospital? Thank you!"
When Satsuki jumped up and embraced it, the Catbus purred.
They were off to Shichikokuyama. They bounded over fields and mountains.
The Catbus stopped in a tree in the garden of the hospital . They could see Father and Mother through the window.
Satsuki said, sounding relieved, "Mommy looks like she's doing all right, doesn't she?"
"Uh-huh. She and Daddy are laughing together."
"Well, I guess we have to go home. Everyone's surely worried about us."
In the hospital room, a refreshing breeze blew in.
"What was that?"
Mother looked around.
"Just now, it seemed like I heard Satsuki and Mei."
Suddenly they saw an ear of corn left near the window. Father picked it up and said,
"You certainly did. Look!"
(On the corn is written: "To Mommy")
The two returned home, swaying back and forth inside the Catbus.
"Thank you very much."
"Bye-bye, see you later."
As they waved and smiled, the Catbus vanished as if it were sucked into the night sky.
From across the way, Granny and Kanta were coming.
"Graaanny!"
Mei started running.
"I'm glad to see you, glad to see you. I was so worried..." said Granny, tearfully holding Mei tight.
"Thank you, Kanta." At Satsuki's words, Kanta smiled, seeming embarrassed.
Whoo, whoo, whoo. The Totoros were playing their ocarinas again that night.
It was a beautiful starry night.
The End.
