The Lotus Monster Book

The Kind Farmer And
The Nine-Tailed Fox
Once there was a poor farmer and his wife who had such
bad luck that they had lost their crops and all of their chickens
save two that still laid eggs. One night a fox stole into
the hen house and tried to steal a chicken, but the farmer’s
wife threw a rock at the fox and drove it away. Still the fox
had stolen eggs, so the wife told her husband to find the fox
and kill it.
The farmer packed a small lunch (bento) and set out for
the woods. He could find no tracks, and finally he sat down
to rest. As he began to eat his meager rice ball with an egg,
he heard a moan. He looked up to find the fox, hurt and
weeping.
“My poor children,” the fox cried.
“You have children?” The farmer asked, surprised.
“Why do you think I tried to steal your chicken?” The fox
yelped.
“I don’t have much to eat, but I will share it with your
children,” The farmer said, and he gently picked up the fox
and carried her back to her den where he found five starving
fox cubs. Moved, he gave the foxes all of his food.
The fox then said, “You have been kind, but we will surely
die if we do not have more than rice and eggs.” The farmer
only had two chickens left, but he offered to give one of
his chickens to the fox. . Instead of taking it, the fox turned
into Inari, the goddess of rice and lotus, and her little foxes
turned white as snow.