Dragon: the Old Potter’s Tale by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Short summary

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In the old days, everyone in town knew a monk famous for the size of his nose. One day he got tired of being mocked. Then he wrote an announcement that a dragon was about to fly out of the monastery pond. The news spread throughout the neighborhood. At the appointed time thousands of people were waiting for the dragon. At dusk the sky darkened, a thunderstorm broke out, and even the joker himself saw the scales and claws of a huge dragon.

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An important dignitary, having arrived in town, decided to write a book. Since no thoughts went to his head, he asked people to tell him stories. The first was an old potter. Once upon a time, everyone in the local monastery knew a monk with a huge nose. He had been mocked all his life, and one day he decided to make a joke of it. Soon a pilgrim read the announcement he had written on a plaque.

The next day, the news spread throughout the neighborhood. Everyone believed that a dragon would fly out of the pond in three days. The joker, who had not expected it, was taken aback, but there was no turning back. The appointed time was approaching. His elderly aunt even came to see him. She, too, wanted to see a miracle before she died.

Many people had gathered around the pond. He, too, was forced to stand with everyone else. The sun was approaching sunset when it suddenly darkened. A thunderstorm began. Lightning struck directly into the pond from a huge cloud, and even Longnose himself would have sworn that a huge dragon with shiny scales rose into the air.