RAITARO

[Japanese] The Thunder Baby. Once a poor Japanese peasant, during a period of drought, prayed to the Buddha for rain. Suddenly, rain fell in sheets, accompanied by a loud peal of thunder. When the peasant, who was named Bimbo, went outside to look, he saw a handsome baby lying on the grass. Bimbo and wife adopted the baby and called him Raitaro ("Thunder Child"). Whenever there was little rain, Raitaro would simple call the clouds and order them to rain, making Bimbo a wealthy farmer. When he reached the age of 18, Raitaro thanked his foster parents for their loving care, turned into a white dragon and flew away.