Starting from now, I will be posting short stories from Urasawa Naoki’s “Monster.” Inside “Monster” series, Urasawa also write down several stories, mainly for children storybook featured in the plot. This one is the main story that bind all the events together. Said to be written by the sole author with many alias. As for this book, he uses one of his alias, Emil Scherbe. Obluda is dark, leaving a disturbing aftertaste, but I would say this one is rather soft than ‘that one’ I’m getting hard to forget. Tell you later. So I hope you enjoy the stories, whatever it means 🙂

Obluda, Která Nemá Své Jméno (The Nameless Monster)

by Emil Scherbe

Once upon a time, there lived a nameless monster.
The monster was dying to have a name so badly.
So the monster decided to set out on a journey to find itself a name.
But the world was such a large place.
So the monster split into two and went on to two separate journeys.
One went to the East and the other went to the west.

The monster that went to the east found a village.
There was a blacksmith at the village entrance.
“Mr.Blacksmith, please give me your name” said the monster.
“I can’t give you my name” replied the blacksmith.
“If you give me your name I will jump inside you and make you stronger in return.” said the monster.
“Really? I’ll give you my name if you can make me stronger.”, the blacksmith told the monster.
The monster jumped inside the blacksmith.
The monster became Otto the blacksmith.
Otto the blacksmith was the strongest man in the village.

But one day he said:
“Look at me! Look at me!”
“The monster inside of me has grown this big!”
*Chomp, chomp, munch, munch, gobble, gobble, gulp*
The hungry monster ate Otto from the inside out.
The monster then went back to become a monster without a name.

Even though he jumped inside Hans the shoemaker….
*Chomp, chomp, munch, munch, gobble, gobble, gulp*
He went back to being a monster without a name again.

Even though he jumped inside Thomas the hunter…..
*Chomp, chomp, munch, munch, gobble, gobble, gulp*
He still went back to being a monster without a name.

The monster then went to a castle to find a wonderful name.
Inside the castle, there was a very sick boy.
“I’ll make you stronger if you give me your name” said the monster
In reply, the boy told him “I’ll give you my name if you can cure my illness and make me stronger.”
So the monster jumped inside the boy.
The boy became very healthy.

The King was delighted.
“The prince is well! The prince is well!” said the King.
The monster became fond of the boy’s name.
He also grew fond of his life inside the castle.
That’s why he endured even when he became hungry.
Every day, even when his stomach became very empty, he endured.

But then he became so hungry….
“Look at me! Look at me!” said the boy.
“The monster inside of me has grown this big!”
The boy then ate his father, servants, and everyone.
*Chomp, chomp, munch, munch, gobble, gobble, gulp*

Because everyone was gone….
The boy left on a journey
He walked and walked for days…..
One day the boy met the monster that went west
“I have a name” said the boy.
“It’s a wonderful name.”

And then the monster that went west said…
“I don’t need a name.”
“I’m happy even if I don’t have a name.”
“Because we’re monsters without names”

The boy ate the monster that went west.
Even though he now had a name….
There was no one left to call him by his name.

Johan.
It is a wonderful name.

An animation of “The Nameless Monster,” taken from “Monster” anime

Read another Monster Metafiction:

buh miru (The God of Peace) ❀ velkooky velkousty (The Man With Big Eyes & The Man With Big Mouth) ❀ obluda, se probouzi (The Awakens Monster) ❀ and another stories spotted in Monster