m, and
then forgot all about it. In the middle of the night, however, he was
awakened by a loud noise in the corner where the kettle stood, and
raised himself up in bed to see what it was. But nothing was there
except the kettle, which seemed quiet enough. He thought that he must
have been dreaming, and fell asleep again, only to be roused a second
time by the same disturbance. He jumped up and went to the corner, and
by the light of the lamp that he always kept burning he saw that the
kettle had become a tanuki, which was running round after his tail.
After he grew weary of that, he ran on the balcony, where he turned
several somersaults, from pure gladness of heart. The tradesman was
much troubled as to what to do with the animal, and it was only towards
morning that he managed to get any sleep; but when he opened his eyes
again there was no tanuki, only the old kettle he had left there the
night before.

As soon as he had tidied his house, Jimmu set off to tell his story to
a friend next door. The man listened quietly, and did not appear so
surprised as Jimmu expected, for he recollected having heard, in his
youth, something about a wonder-working kettle. 'Go and travel with
it, and show it off,' said he, 'and you will become a rich man; but be
careful first to ask the tanuki's leave, and also to perform some magic
ceremonies to prevent him from running away at the sight of the people.'

Jimmu thanked his friend for his counsel, which he followed exactly. The
tanuki's consent was obtained, a booth was built, and a notice was hung
up outside it inviting the people to come and witness the most wonderful
transformation that ever was seen.

They came in crowds, and the kettle was passed from hand to hand, and
they were allowed to examine it all over, and even to look inside. Then
Jimmu took it back, and setting it on the platform, commanded it to
become a tanuki. In an instant the handle began to change into a head,
and the spout into a tail, while the four paws appeared at the sides.
'Dance,' said Jimmu, and the tanuki did his steps, and moved first on
one side and then on the other, till the people could not stand still
any longer, and began to dance too. Gracefully he led the fan dance, and
glided without a pause into the shadow dance and the umbrella dance, and
it seemed as if he might go on dancing for ever. And so very likely
he would, if Jimmu had not declared he had danced enough, and that the
booth must now b