This is a story from the city of Hiroshima.
Old fisherman Rihei. Today he was looking pleased with himself as he rowed his way from the sea towards the port. And no wonder, because swimming around in his boat’s live-box, were about forty or fifty sea bream, of around five to six *sun in size. It was unusual to see such large fish these days. As Rihei drew closer to the shore, he was surprised.
“Oh. Isn’t that my wife standing there? She normally never comes to meet me. How strange. She’ll be happy with my catch.” Rihei tied up the boat in the port. “Dear wife, have you come meet me?” he asked her.
“That’s right. You seem to have a good catch today.”
“I see. I see. Thank you for coming. Take a look. I caught so many.”
“Oh, so you have. Let me have them. I will carry them for you.”
The sea bream transferred from the live-box to the fish basket floundered around violently.
“Dear husband. Give the basket to me. I will carry it for you,” said Rihei’s wife in a high-pitched voice.
“Don’t hurry me. I can carry this amount myself.”
“Don’t be so fussy. Give the basket to me.”
And as the wife seized the basket by force from the old man, she let out a strange laugh. “Ah, ha, ha, ha.” The old man was taken aback and when he took a good look, he realized that what he had thought to be his wife was actually a large golden fox.
“Silly Rihei. I’m so sorry, but these sea bream belong to me! Ah, ha, ha, ha.”
“Oh, I see. You’re the wicked Old Fox.”
The Old Fox was a well-known mean fox of ill-repute throughout the port of Eba. Although old Rihei was annoyed that the sea bream had been take away from him, this was only the beginning. This Old Fox was incredibly sneaky. There were many people in the village that were tricked by him, unable to stand up to his supernatural powers.
One day, several days later, as Rihei came home with a catch, he saw his wife standing on the shore. “So that’s the fox again. He’s going to try and get one up on me. But he’s not going to get away with it this time. He’ll see.”
“Dear wife. You’ve come to meet me. I have a good catch again today. Just look.”
“That’s wonderful. Let me see. Oh, what a nice catch!” And as the old woman was peeking into the live-box, Rihei took hold of a bamboo stick and struck down with all his might. “Take that fox!”
“Mmmmm?” the old woman fell over and lay immobile. But she did not transform into a fox.
“Ah, ha, ha. You’re such a fool, old Rihei. That’s your real wife. I tricked her into coming here.” The old man looked up to see the Old Fox standing on top of the roof of his house laughing his head off. Old Rihei had been made a fool of once more and fatigued, he sat down.
“Damn. I have been tricked once more. Things have gone so far that all I can do now is ask the raccoon dog Jubei of Sanuki in Shikoku to come and handle him for me,” he murmured as he helped his wife up and returned home. The Old Fox felt pleased with himself for having tricked old Rihei and he too returned to his home in the Saiyama mountain, laughing as he recalled what had happened.
“What was he talking about? A sneaky raccoon that lives in Sanuki in Shikoku? Did he call him Jubei? I think I may have heard rumors of this raccoon dog. There’s no way he can outdo me. Whether he comes from Shikoku or from Sanuki, he’s no match for me. Having said which, my interest has been piqued. Is it true there’s someone cleverer than me? Old Rihei, he really said something strange,” mulled the fox.
And one day, several days later. “Okay. Perhaps we should hold a transformation match. And if I win, the human fools will have to admit that my supernatural powers of transformation are the best.”
Old Fox could not contain himself anymore and he challenged the raccoon dog Jubei to a transformation battle. The raccoon dog Jubei took on the challenge and without delay, he crossed the seas and came to Eba in Saiyama. Old Fox was taken aback when the raccoon dog Jubei made his appearance at the top of Saiyama mountain. Because the raccoon dog Jubei’s body was as large as a mountain with a drum-like stomach which was covered in moss. It was a full moon that night. With a large, black shadow trailing behind him, he felt sure he could beat the Old Fox.
“Is the Old Fox here?” the raccoon dog’s loud voice rang out like thunder.
The Old Fox wasn’t about to be defeated. “I’m here.” Although he ltoo et out a loud voice, it sounded like the buzz of a mosquito in comparison to raccoon dog Jubei.
“Oh, so you’re the Old Fox. Let’s get to it. Watch me.”
And the raccoon dog Jubei turned himself inside out, swiftly changing into a 10 meter **hitotsume-kozo.
“What do you think?” he proclaimed.
“Don’t shout at the top of your voice. You’re so noisy,” the Old Fox said to himself. And then he hurriedly spoke aloud. “Well, well, well. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Have one of these Eba fish to ease the fatigue of your journey.”
“You could have something there. I’ve only just got here. I understand. Let me know when you’re ready.”
The Old Fox was relieved to hear raccoon dog Jubei’s words. He realized that he was up against a formidable opponent. He would prove difficult to beat. And put in other words, the one who looked bound to fail was the Old Fox. He fell into deep thought.
Anyway, the day after next, the raccoon dog wandered out onto the highway. That’s because the night before the Old Fox told him to, “Wait by the single pine tree on the highway. I will walk past you in a transformed state.” However, although he had arrived at the agreed time, the Old Fox did not appear. Raccoon dog Jubei waited in the shadow of the tree to see what disguise the Old Fox would take on. At that very time, he heard a voice, “Down below. Down below. Down below. Down below.”
When he looked closer, he saw a splendid ***daimyo’s procession approaching. Raccoon dog Jubei was highly impressed. He had been outdone, he thought. The Old Fox had transformed himself into a daimyo’s procession. Someone was carrying a gold-crested oblong chest spear. And the palanquin was very splendid. And someone with a very splendid moustache was at the front of the procession.
“Mmm. Mmm,” he groaned. It was rare to see such an amazing transformation. Well, well, thought the raccoon dog Jubei. As he made his way to the head of the procession, he shouted, “Old Fox. You’ve done well to transform in such a way. It is rare to see even a daimyo’s procession in the first place. I am so impressed.”
“Impudent one!”
The samurai at the front of the procession made his way over to raccoon dog Jubei and drew his sparkling sword. Racoon dog Jubei had been careless and as a result he was cut with the sword and in spite of his size, he died. The Old Fox was watching from the top of the single pine tree.
“Ha, ha, ha! What a bulky and dumb raccoon dog. I knew a real procession was going to turn up and he really fell for it. Ha, ha, ha!” he laughed out at the top of the tree. And he laughed so much that he fell right down from the tree and hurt his back.
And from that day onwards, the Old Fox lost his supernatural powers. And no one was ever tricked by him ever again.
The End
*sun - an traditional Japanese measurement, the equivalent of 3.03 cms
**hitotsume-kozo - a supernatural-creature in the form of a one-eyed boy
***daimyo – feudal lord
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