Changes

|title=Hagurosan

|author=Darren Shan

|publisher=Barrington Stoke Ltd

|date=May 2013

|website=http://www.darrenshan.com/

|summary=Darren Shan was inspired to write 'Hagurosan' after visiting the a shrine on the holy mountain in Japan of the same name. This is story has an quality to it that makes it feel much older than it is. It could easily be an ancient folktale adapted for modern readers. It has a very strong moral message to it and very deep sense of spirituality

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The story begins with a young child, living in a small village at the foot of a holy mountain. When he is told to take a small cake as an offering to the spirits of the shrine, he is disappointed as he would rather play with his friends, but he does as he is told. It is a long walk though and he soon grows hungry. Surely the gods will not mind if he has just a tiny nibble at the cake? But one nibble leads to another and by the time Hagurosan arrives at the shrine, he has eaten the whole cake. All children make mistakes, but what Hagurosan has done is a terrible offense in the culture he lives in. He isn't a bad child and confesses his crime to the spirits with great sorrow and fear. The spirits are not totally unkind. They take a liking to this child offering one wish which he makes very unselfishly - but there are strings attached. He can stay with the spirits as they desire, making his home in the temple, or he can leave but his wish will not be fulfilled. It is a heavy burden for so young a child.