One night when I was staying over in a friend's guest house in Kyushu, I was awakened by a shrill sound and opened my eyes to see a gigantic white cat sitting in the open window before vanishing. I knew, without being told, that I had seen one of those ghost cats that haunt Japanese folk tales.
I set to paper my version of an old tale I heard on this trip about a loyal rooster who sacrificed his life to save his master from a fierce ghost cat, who was masquerading as a helpless white kitten.
There is a statue of the little red cock in the village square to honor his brave deed. This book was illustrated by the well known Japanese artist Fuku Akino, who also illustrated The Dwarf Pine Tree.