The Stonecutter is a classic Japanese folktale retold by Gerald McDermott about a humble stonecutter named Tasaku who is never satisfied with his life. After watching a rich prince pass by, he wishes to become a prince himself, and a mountain spirit grants his wish. Each time Tasaku gains more power, he sees someone with even greater power and makes another wish, transforming from a prince to the sun, then a cloud, then a mountain, until he finally understands the true value of what he had at the beginning.