shes. Glad as I am to hear your kind intentions,
there is nothing that I can ask you to do for me. You need feel no
anxiety on my account. As long as I live, when the winter comes, you
shall be welcome here." The badger, on hearing this, could not conceal
its admiration of the depth of the old man's benevolence; but having so
much to be grateful for, it felt hurt at not being able to requite it.
As this subject was often renewed between them, the priest at last,
touched by the goodness of the badger's heart, said: "Since I have
shaven my head, renounced the world, and forsaken the pleasures of this
life, I have no desire to gratify, yet I own I should like to possess
three riyos in gold. Food and raiment I receive by the favour of the
villagers, so I take no heed for those things. Were I to die to-morrow,
and attain my wish of being born again into the next world, the same
kind folk have promised to meet and bury my body. Thus, although I have
no other reason to wish for money, still if I had three riyos I would
offer them up at some holy shrine, that masses and prayers might be said
for me, whereby I might enter into salvation. Yet I would not get this
money by violent or unlawful means; I only think of what might be if I
had it. So you see, since you have expressed such kind feelings toward
me, I have told you what is on my mind." When the priest had done
speaking, the badger leant its head on one side with a puzzled and
anxious look, so much so that the old man was sorry he had expressed a
wish which seemed to give the beast trouble, and tried to retract what
he had said. "Posthumous honours, after all, are the wish of ordinary
men. I, who am a priest, ought not to entertain such thoughts, or to
want money; so pray pay no attention to what I have said;" and the
badger, feigning assent to what the priest had impressed upon it,
returned to the hills as usual.

From that time forth the badger came no more to the hut. The priest
thought this very strange, but imagined either that the badger stayed
away because it did not like to come without the money, or that it had
been killed in an attempt to steal it; and he blamed himself for having
added to his sins for no purpose, repenting when it was too late:
persuaded, however, that the badger must have been killed, he passed his
time in putting up prayers upon prayers for it.

After three years had gone by, one night the old man heard a voice near
his door calling out, "Your