The Tongueless Sparrow

The Tongueless Sparrow
Directed by	Makoto Tezuka Itsuro Kawasaki
Written by	Rumiko Tezuka Seiji Chiba
Screenplay by	Seiji Chiba Kaizo Hayashi
Story by	Itsuro Kawasaki Seiji Chiba
Based on	Shita-Kiri Suzume
Produced by	Fujiko J. Fujio Tetsu Dezaki
Executive Producer(s)	Makoto Tezuka
Starring	Osamu Hoshi Haco Yumiko Kobayashi Wasabi Mizuta Shizuma Hodoshima
Narrated by	Eriko Hatsune
Production company(s)	Tezuka Productions Fujiko J. Fujio Pro (Characters)
Distributed by	Toho
Release date	June 23, 2023
Running time	49 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Rating	G
Budget	$660.000
Box office	$465.000

The Tongueless Sparrow (Shita-kiri Suzume) is a 2023 Japanese Animated film based on the Fable of the same name.

Plot

Once upon a time their lived an old woodcutter (played by Mikaman) with his wife (played by Dikamon), who both made a living by cutting wood and fishing. The old man was honest and kind but his wife was arrogant and greedy,

One morning, The old man went to the timber to get some wood and saw an injured sparrow (played by Mikit) crying for help. Feeling sorry for her, the old man gave her food and took her home but his wife got annoyed with him for feeding the sparrow but despite this, the old man continued to care for her.

When the old man left the sparrow in the care of his wife while he goes to the mountains, his wife, with no intention of feeding the sparrow, went out fishing. While she was gone, the sparrow got into some starch and ate them all. The old woman was so mad that she cut off her tongue and sent her flying back to the mountains.

When the old man returned home, his wife told him that she cut off the sparrow's tongue because she ate all of the starch, causing the old man to go look for her.

When he got to the river and ask the cow washer (played by Rikit) who was washing the cows, the man told him that the sparrow went upstream after he helped his wash all of his cows. When he got there, he met a horse washer (played by PowPow) washing his horses and the man told him that the sparrow went into sparrow village after he helped wash his horses.

Eventually, the old man made it to the sparrow village and called for the sparrow for an hour until the sparrow (who is revealed to be the princess named Peep) took him to sparrow village to greet a multitude of sparrows. They all brought him food and sang and danced with him.

Upon his departure, they presented him with a large basket or a small basket. The old man chosed the small basket since it was easier to carry. When he arrived home, he opened the basket and discovered a large amount of treasure. His wife, learning about the existence about the large basket, ran to the sparrow village (after she forced the cow washer and the horse washer where it was without doing any work) in hope of getting more treasure for herself. She chosed the large basket but Peep warned her not to open it until she got home.

Such was her greed she couldn't resist opening the basket before she got home. To her surprise, the large basket was full of monsters that chased her back home and when she got home, she apologized for her greed and promise to mend her greedy ways.