Japanese Folk Tale

8. Help from Animals
119. The Listening Hood
Once upon a time when a good old man went to pray to Inari, his
tutelary deity, he received a treasure that was a red hood. When he
wore it, he could understand right off what birds or animals said. The
delighted old man put the hood into his bosom and went along to
where there was a big tree. He sat beneath it and went to sleep. A
bird came flying from the direction of the seashore and another from
an island. They lighted upon the tree. The old man decided this was
the time to try his hood. He put it on his head and began listening to
the birds. The bird from the seashore said it had been five or six years
since the village choja had built a storehouse. When the roof was
being thatched, a snake had crawled up and was nailed down. Half
dead and half alive, it was being cared for by the female with food
she brought it. Its resentment, however, had built up and caused a long
illness for the chojals daughter. If the snake were rescued, the girl
would surely get well, but it was a pity that men could not understand
such things. Then the two birds parted and flew away. The old man
thought he had heard something fine. He wanted to hurry and save the
lives of the chojals daughter and the snake. He disguised himself as a
fortune teller and went to the chojals house. He pretended to layout
his fortune sticks and repeated what he had heard the bird say. The
snake was rescued. Then to the chojals delight, his daughter gradually
recovered. He gave the old man a great sum of money, making him a
rich man. The old man rebuilt Inari IS shrine and celebrated a splendid
feast.
The old man set out again and rested under the former tree. Those