Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales Part B

Tanuki

There are three stories about the tanuki in this unit. In the last two, the Slaying of the Tanuki and How the Wicked Tanuki was Punished, the tanuki is a devious trickster who betrays someone and is killed for his tricks. In both of these stories, the tanuki is very selfish and looks for ways to take advantage of others. The tanuki is known for his magical abilities. The tanuki in the Magic Kettle retains magical powers but his devious nature is less aparrent. He still tricks people by appearing as a kettle but men make profit off the tanuki rather than the tanuki himself. I think it would be cool to add an alternate ending to the Magic Kettle in which the tanuki acts selfishly and tricks the merchant who owns him.

Magic Kettle Plot

• The old man finds a kettle he has never seen before in his house. 
• The kettle transformed into a tanuki when it was placed on a fire.
• The old man and his neighbor catch the tanuki and lock him in a wooden chest.
• The old man sells the kettle to Jimmu, a tradesman.
• Jimmu goes home and discovers the kettle transforms into a tanuki.
• Jimmu tells his neighbor and his neighbor tells him he should travel and make money from showing it after he obtains the tanuki's consent and casts a spell so the tanuki can not run away at the sight of crowds.
• Jimmu sets up a booth and makes lots of money off the tanuki.
• Jimmu brought the kettle and some of the money he earned back to the old man who had sold him the kettle.
• The old man and Jimmu continue to make money off the kettle until they die.

Tanuki (Pixabay)

Story source: The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1903).