About the book: 2004 / “The Tale of the Hollow” is one of the most interesting works of medieval Japanese literature of the Heian era (794-1185). Its author is unknown. It is believed that the creation of the story dates back to the second half of the 10th century. “The Tale of the Hollow” is a work of large form in twenty chapters; among the works of Heian literature, it is second in volume only to “The Tale of Genji” (“Genji-monogatari”). The plot of “The Tale of the Hollow” is close to Buddhist hagiographic literature: it is a description of life Bodhisattva, reborn in Japan to show people the Path of salvation. The Bodhisattva is reborn in the guise of the scion of a noble Japanese family. Part 2 includes chapters XII–XX.