“The Tongue-Cut Sparrow,” a Japanese fairytale about a good husband, his greedy wife, and the sparrow who changed their lives for the better. The wife cuts the tongue of the bird in retribution for eating the starch she had made, and when the husband goes to find the sparrow in the bamboo grove, she rewards him with gold and silver. But when the wife learns of her husband’s refusal of the bigger gift, she goes to demand its contents. The sparrow, who is actually a fairy, grants her wish, and the box opens to reveal demons that terrify the wife into a kinder nature. The husband and wife live happily for the rest of their days.

In this tunnel book, you can follow the story by pulling the numbered tabs in consecutive order. Each panel is handcut and painted using watercolor and ink. Then the panels were glued together with the tabs secured, and bound in an embroidered cover featuring a colophon on the inside front.