It was springtime in Japan, and the blossoms hung thick on the cherry
trees.
Butterflies and dragon flies fluttered over the golden colza flowers in
the fields.
The rice birds chirped merrily. Everything seemed to say, "How good it
is to live in days like these."
A beautiful princess, O Haru San, sat on the bank of a stream gaily
pulling the lilies.
All the maidens of her court were with her.
Along the river bank came a troop of noisy, laughing boys, carrying a
young cub fox. They were trying to decide who should have its skin and
who its liver.
At a safe distance from them, in a bamboo thicket, father fox and mother
fox sat looking sadly after their little cub.
The princess' heart was filled with pity, and she said:
"Boys, pray loose the little fox. See his parents weeping in the rocks."
The boys shook their heads.
"We shall sell the fox's skin," they said. "The liver, too, if well
powdered, will be used to cure fevers in the fall."
"Listen," cried O Haru San, "It is springtime, and everything rejoices.
How can you kill such a small soft beast?
"See, here is twice your price; take it all," and she drew copper money
and silver money from her girdle.
The boys placed the little frightened animal in her lap and ran away,
pleased to be so rich.
The cub felt the touch of her soft hand, and trembled no longer. She
loosened carefully the knot and noose and string.
She stroked the red fur smooth again, and bound up the little bleeding
leg. She offered it rice and fish to eat, but the black eyes plainly
said, "This is very nice, but I hear my parents grieving near yonder
beanstraw stack. I long to go and comfort them."
She set the little fox gently on the ground, and, forgetting its wounded
leg, it leaped through the bushes at one happy bound.
The two old foxes gravely looked it over neck and breast.
They licked it from its bushy tail to its smooth, brown crown. Then,
sitting up on their haunches, they gave two sharp barks of gratitude.