A long time ago, at a temple called Morinji, in the province of
Jhôsiu, there was an old teakettle. One day, when the priest of the
temple was about to hang it over the hearth to boil the water for his
tea, to his amazement the kettle all of a sudden put forth the head
and tail of a badger. What a wonderful kettle, to come out all over
fur! The priest, thunderstruck, called in the novices of the temple to
see the sight; and whilst they were stupidly staring, one suggesting
one thing and another another, the kettle, jumping up into the air,
began flying about the room. More astonished than ever, the priest and
his pupils tried to pursue it; but no thief or cat was ever half so
sharp as this wonderful badger-kettle. At last, however, they managed
to knock it down and secure it; and, holding it in with their united
efforts, they forced it into a box, intending to carry it off and
throw it away in some distant place, so that they might be no more
plagued by the goblin. For this day their troubles were over; but, as
luck would have it, the tinker who was in the habit of working for the
temple called in, and the priest suddenly bethought him that it was a
pity to throw the kettle away for nothing, and that he might as
well get a trifle for it, no matter how small. So he brought out the
kettle, which had resumed its former shape and had got rid of its head
and tail, and showed it to the tinker. When the tinker saw the kettle,
he offered twenty copper coins for it, and the priest was only too
glad to close the bargain and be rid of his troublesome piece of
furniture. But the tinker trudged off home with his pack and his new
purchase. That night, as he lay asleep, he heard a strange noise near
his pillow; so he peered out from under the bedclothes, and there he
saw the kettle that he had bought in the temple covered with fur, and
walking about on four legs. The tinker started up in a fright to see
what it could all mean, when all of a sudden the kettle resumed its
former shape. This happened over and over again, until at last the
tinker showed the teakettle to a friend of his, who said: "This is
certainly an accomplished and lucky teakettle. You should take it
about as a show, with songs and accompaniments of musical instruments,
and make it dance and walk on the tight rope."
The tinker, thinking this good advice, made arrangements with
a showman, and set up an exhibition. The noise of the kettle's
performances soon spread abroad, until even the Princes of the land
sent to order the tinker to come to them; and he grew rich beyond all
his expectations. Even the Princesses, too, and the great ladies of
the court, took great delight in the dancing kettle, so that no sooner
had it shown its tricks in one place than it was time for them to keep
some other engagement. At last the tinker grew so rich that he took
the kettle back to the temple, where it was laid up as a precious
treasure, and worshiped as a saint.
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