Lot Essay
The story is of a priest who, frightened when his old kettle unexpectedly turns into a badger, gives it away to a passing tinker. Feeling like a cup of tea, the tinker stops by the side of the road, but as soon as he puts the kettle onto the fire, it again turns into a badger. The amazed tinker, seeing an advantage to be gained, tours Japan demonstrating the magical properties of his kettle. Having become rich and famous, he feels sorry for the priest and returns the kettle to him, but although it continues to make excellent tea, it never turns into a badger again.
Although generally translated in the West as "badger", the tanuki (the animal concerned in this story) is in fact a raccoon-faced dog. The Japanese word for badger is anaguma.
Hioan Katsuchika was a pupil of Hagiya Katsuhei (1804-1886).
Although generally translated in the West as "badger", the tanuki (the animal concerned in this story) is in fact a raccoon-faced dog. The Japanese word for badger is anaguma.
Hioan Katsuchika was a pupil of Hagiya Katsuhei (1804-1886).