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Kibun Daizin; or, From Shark-Boy to Merchant Prince

Gensai Murai

This is the story of a brave, skillful and ambitious boy who sets out to become the wealthiest man of Japan. He succeeds in doing just that because of his virtuous deeds. A real person, Kinokuniya Bunzaemon (1669 – 1734), was the inspiration for this fictionalized biography by Gensai Murai. An English translation of the tale originally appeared in the once popular St. Nicholas Magazine (1873 - 1940) for children that featured stories by eminent as well as promising young authors, some of whom (Edna St. Vincent Millay, F. Scott Fitzgerald, E. B. White, and Stephen Vincent Benét) were first published in it, receiving cash awards as St. Nicholas League prize winners. - Summary by Brian Fullen