その昔、酒呑童子という酒好きの学僧がいた。
ある日のお祭りで僧たちは鬼の面をつけて踊りを披露することになった。
披露が終わると、僧たちに酒が振る舞われた。鯨飲した酒呑童子は、鬼の面を着けたまま山に帰って寝た。翌朝、目を覚ましてみると鬼の面が外れなくなっていた。その姿を僧たちから恐れられ、追い出された酒呑童子は、祖父のもとに帰った。しかし祖父は鬼の姿となった 酒呑童子を迎え入れず追い払った。
悲しんだ 酒呑童子は山に上り、山の岩屋にこもると、神通力を持つ本物の鬼となり、一帯の人々をさらって食べるようになった。

酒呑童子があまりにも悪行を働くので帝の命により討伐隊が結成された。
武将達は山伏（修行僧）と偽って酒呑童子に近づき、毒酒を酒盛りの最中に酒呑童子に飲ませ、体が動かなくなったところを押さえて、首を切り落として成敗した。首は宙をを飛び武将に噛みつこうとしたがなんとか難を逃れた。一行は、首級を持ち帰り都に戻った。
首級は帝らが検分したのちに宝蔵に納められた 。

A long time ago, there was a liquor-loving student monk named Shuten Doji.

One day at the festival, Monks were performed dance with the demon Mask. At the end of the show, the monks were served sake. After drinking too much sake, Shuten Doji went back to home and slept with the demon mask on. The next morning, when he woke up, the demon mask was not removed.

He was feared by the other monks and kicked out of the village. He returned to his grandfather, but his grandfather did not accept him with demon figure.

Shuten Doji was very disappointed by that, climbed the mountain and he stayed cave for a while, he became a real demon with a magical power. Then he began to kidnap and eat people the whole area.

Since he act so badly, a warrior subjugation team was formed by the imperial orders.

Military commander impersonated monks and approached Shuten Doji, add poison to liquor in the middle of drinking party, where his body stopped moving, they pushed his body and cut off his neck. The head flew in the air, and tried to bite to commander, but they could escape somehow.

They brought back his head to the capital. After the emperor checked his head, it was placed as a treasure.