HOW A MAN WAS BEWITCHED AND HAD HIS HEAD SHAVED BY THE FOXES

In the village of Iwahara, in the province of Shinshiu, there dwelt a family which had acquired considerable wealth in the wine trade.  On some auspicious occasion it happened that a number of guests were gathered together at their house, feasting on wine and fish; and as the wine-cup went round, the conversation turned upon foxes.  Among the guests was a certain carpenter, Tokutaro by name, a man about thirty years of age, of a stubborn and obstinate turn, who said—­

“Well, sirs, you’ve been talking for some time of men being bewitched by foxes; surely you must be under their influence yourselves, to say such things.  How on earth can foxes have such power over men?  At any rate, men must be great fools to be so deluded.  Let’s have no more of this nonsense.”

Upon this a man who was sitting by him answered—­

“Tokutaro little knows what goes on in the world, or he would not speak so.  How many myriads of men are there who have been bewitched by foxes?  Why, there have been at least twenty or thirty men tricked by the brutes on the Maki Moor alone.  It’s hard to disprove facts that have happened before our eyes.”

“You’re no better than a pack of born idiots,” said Tokutaro.  “I will engage to go out to the Maki Moor this very night and prove it.  There is not a fox in all Japan that can make a fool of Tokutaro.”

“Thus he spoke in his pride; but the others were all angry with him for boasting, and said—­

“If you return without anything having happened, we will pay for five measures of wine and a thousand copper cash worth of fish; and if you are bewitched, you shall do as much for us.”

Tokutaro took the bet, and at nightfall set forth for the Maki Moor by himself.  As he neared the moor, he saw before him a small bamboo grove, into which a fox ran; and it instantly occurred to him that the foxes of the moor would try to bewitch him.  As he was yet looking, he suddenly saw the daughter of the headman of the village of Upper Horikane, who was married to the headman of the village of Maki.

“Pray, where are you going to, Master Tokutaro?” said she.

“I am going to the village hard by.”

“Then, as you will have to pass my native place, if you will allow me, I will accompany you so far.”

Tokutaro thought this very odd, and made up his mind that it was a fox trying to make a fool of him; he accordingly determined to turn the tables on the fox, and answered—­“It is a long time since I have had the pleasure of seeing you; and as it seems that your house is on my road, I shall be glad to escort you so far.”

With this he walked behind her, thinking he should certainly see the end of a fox’s tail peeping out; but, look as he might, there was nothing to be seen.  At last they came to the village of Upper Horikane; and when they reached the cottage of the girl’s father, the family all came out, surprised to see her.