Once upon a time, there lived an elderly couple in a peaceful village. The old man spent his days working diligently on their small farm, planting seeds in the field with great care. But one unfortunate day, a mischievous tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog) snuck in and dug up all the seeds, devouring them before the old man could return. Furious at the destruction, the old man managed to catch the tanuki, tied it up with rope, and brought it back to his home.
At home, the tanuki begged for mercy. "Please forgive me," it pleaded. "If you set me free, I’ll help with the chores and never cause trouble again." The old woman, moved by its words and trusting in its promise, untied the ropes. But instead of keeping its word, the tanuki brutally attacked the old woman and escaped into the forest. Though the old man found her, it was too late. The woman was gravely injured and passed away soon after, leaving the old man in deep sorrow.
One day, while sitting alone in his grief, the old man was approached by a clever rabbit who overheard the story. The rabbit, angered by the tanuki’s cruelty, said with determination, "I will take care of that wicked creature for you." Wasting no time, the rabbit set off into the forest in search of the tanuki, ready to carry out a plan for justice.
The following day, the rabbit met the tanuki and suggested they gather firewood together. The tanuki, unaware of the rabbit’s true intention, agreed. As they carried bundles of wood down the mountain, the rabbit walked behind and began striking two stones together, producing a soft crackling sound. Curious, the tanuki asked, “What’s that noise?” The rabbit casually replied, “That’s just the sound of Kachi-Kachi Yama. This mountain always makes that noise.”
Convinced, the tanuki continued walking. Suddenly, the firewood strapped to its back burst into flames. Screaming in pain, the tanuki threw down the burning wood and fled, badly burned. A few days later, the rabbit visited the injured tanuki and offered to help. “I’ve brought you medicine,” the rabbit said kindly. But instead of soothing balm, the rabbit smeared miso mixed with chili paste onto the tanuki’s wounds. The tanuki shrieked in pain as the mixture worsened its injuries.
Later, the rabbit invited the tanuki to go fishing. When they arrived at the beach, two boats were waiting. The rabbit had prepared a strong wooden boat for itself and a fragile boat made of mud for the tanuki. Eager and unaware, the tanuki jumped into the mud boat while the rabbit calmly rowed the wooden one. As they sailed out to sea, the tanuki’s boat began to crumble. It called out for help, but the rabbit simply looked on in silence as the muddy boat sank beneath the waves, taking the tanuki with it.
At last, the rabbit had avenged the old woman’s cruel death. Peace returned to the village, and the old man, free from sorrow, was able to live the rest of his days in quiet happiness.