Episode 158 – What Does the Fox Say?

Episode 158 Show Notes

Source: Japanese Folklore

• This week on MYTH, we’re headed to Japan for a look at the duality of foxes.  You’ll learn that you should never make bets while drunk, that nothing good happens on a moor, and that tricks are less tricky when you expect them. Then, in Gods and Monsters, there’s no telling just how much a single act of kindness can change things.  This is the Myths Your Teacher Hated podcast, where I tell the stories of cultures from around the world in all of their original, bloody, uncensored glory.  Modern tellings of these stories have become dry and dusty, but I’ll be trying to breathe new life into them.  This is Episode 158, “What Does the Fox Say?”.  As always, this episode is not safe for work.
• Creatures of folklore are mercurial, and perhaps none so much as our old friends the trickster spirits. The stories caution that, while they can take pity on those in need and help them out of a jam, they can also play extremely cruel pranks for shits and giggles. This week, therefore, we’ll look at two different stories from Japanese folklore that look at these two extremes of behavior for a famous trickster animal – the fox. Both stories come from Japanese Myths and Legends edited by J. K. Jackson. Throughout the stories, the creatures are only ever referred to as foxes, but given some of the supernatural shenanigans that ensue, it is likely that they are kitsune, the fox spirits associated with the goddess Inari that we met back in Episode 86.
• Long ago in the village of Iwahara in Shinshiu Province (in what is now Nagano Prefecture in central Japan), there lived a very rich family. They had accumulated such vast wealth through their skill at the wine trade. As such, this family was fond of holding great banquets for a variety of guests, both to show off their splendor and to let people sample the fine vintages they sold and see for themselves why they were worth the price. It was during one such daytime feast that a number of guests were gathered, including a carpenter by the name of Tokutaro. The fish was delicate and exquisitely cooked, and the light wine it was paired with was heavenly (though also quite potent). The wine-cup had gone around the table several times by this point in the afternoon and everyone was happily conversing about anything and everything as they digested. 
• The topic of the afternoon turned in time to foxes. Thirty year old Tokutaro was widely known as skilled in his trade but a pain in the ass to deal with. He was stubborn and hard headed and tended to dig in his heels whenever someone disagreed with his position. He also had a very high opinion of himself, which was not always backed up by reality. In short, he was an arrogant ass. He listened to the other gathered guests speaking of foxes: their cleverness and their mystical ability to bewitch the senses and ensnare the mind. 
• Tokutaro stood a little unsteadily. He’d had quite a bit to drink, which was giving him even more obstinate bravado than he typically had. “What complete and utter bullshit. You’ve all been talking for a while about foxes being able to ensorcel men and make them see or do things. I say you must all be under the influence of some imaginary magic fox if you believe that shit. How on earth can a measly little fox do fuck all to a man? What kind of woo woo power are they supposed to have over their betters? I can’t believe that a bunch of people who think themselves wise and learned could believe such poppycock. Let’s talk about something else – I’m tired of fucking foxes.”
• Tokutaro started to sit back down when he met the gaze of another man at the table, a man he didn’t know who was sitting all by himself at one end. If you’ve been paying attention, you can probably guess who this mysterious stranger might be. The man scoffed loudly, his eyes locked with the carpenter’s. “This feast tonight must be the farthest Tokutaro has ever journeyed from his home. He can’t possibly know jack or shit about what goes on in the wider world or he wouldn’t utter such nonsense in front of those who clearly know better than he.” The stranger looked around the table, making eye contact with every person there. “How many hundreds, thousands of men have been beguiled by the clever fox? Hell, there’ve been at least twenty or thirty such incidents in the nearby Maki Moor alone! Anyone who knows anything has heard these stories from those who have lived them and know them to be true. Only a fool disbelieves facts that have been proven right before our very eyes.”
• The only thing more certain to get Tokutaro’s ire up than disagreeing with him in public was to call him a fool in the process. He surged back to his feet, chest puffed out belligerently. “What a pack of blithering numbskulls! Fuck you, fuck you, you’re cool, fuck you – I’ll prove that this asshole is making shit up. I’ll go to Maki Moor right the fuck now and prove it’s all nonsense and fairy tales. There’s not a single fox in all of Japan who can make a fool of the great Tokutaro!” Surely that bold statement won’t come back to bite him in the ass, right?
• The carpenter smiled smugly, looking around the table in expectation of a round of applause for his wisdom and moxy (or at least a lot of heads nodding in agreement). What he got instead was a lot of angry men who thought Tokutaro a prideful, boastful ass who’s big mouth was going to get him into trouble. “Big talk, Tokutaro. Care to put your money where your mouth is? If you stay out in Maki Moor all night without anything happening to you, we’ll buy you five bottles of the finest wine our hosts sell and a thousand copper worth of fish. If you get bewitched by the foxes or if you don’t stay out there the whole night, you’ll owe us the same amount. Deal?” 
• Tokutaro sneered. “I’ll take that bet. Never made easier money in my life.” As night began to fall, the carpenter headed out to Maki Moor all alone. I don’t know how the others intend to prove he actually stayed out on the moor all night as agreed, but maybe they’re counting on his pride and arrogance to force him to do so. He seems a man of rigid honor. As he neared the desolate place, he saw a small bamboo grove up ahead. Even as he spied it, movement flashed across the moor, drawing his eye. It was a fox, making a break for the shelter of the bamboo. Now that he was actually out here and seeing the foxes haunting it, he wasn’t quite as sure that this was a good idea. He was starting to regret his hasty bet but there was nothing to be done but get on with it.
• He started moving again, but was brought up short again almost immediately by the sight of the daughter of the headman of Upper Horikane village. This wasn’t a completely unexpected sight since the daughter was indeed married to the headman of Maki village, which sat beside the moor. The young woman saw the carpenter at the same moment and waved at him. “Well hey there, Master Tokutaro. Fancy meeting you here. What brings you all the way out to our humble moor?” “Oh, uh, hi. I was heading to the town that lies just beyond it. You know, Upper Horikane.” She smiled brightly. “Well how about that! Since you’re headed to my home anyway, how about I walk with you to the village?” 
• Tokutaro was immediately suspicious of this whole situation. To be fair, I probably would be too. For all that he was bragging that foxes weren’t capable of bewitching men, he was now utterly certain that the headman’s daughter was in fact a disguised fox trying to trick him. ‘I’m too smart for this foxy bitch – I’ll turn the tables on her!’ he thought. Aloud, he pretended to be taken in by her act. “Well that is quite kind of you. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of your company, so I would be honored if you would walk with me to the village since your house is along the road anyway.”
• He let the young woman lead the way, falling a few paces behind and staring at her ass. He wasn’t being a lech here, he was trying to spot a hidden fox tail. In the stories (such as the tale of Kuzunoha in Episode 86), this tail is often what gives the trickster spirit away. This fox was clever though and, no matter how hard he stared, he couldn’t see even the tip of a tail peeping out. He was so distracted by his vigil that he was surprised when they stopped in front of the young woman’s house. He hadn’t realized that they had already reached Upper Horikane. As the young woman neared, the door opened and her father came out to greet her, along with the whole fam-damily, who were surprised to see her. “Oh my dear daughter, we weren’t expecting you – is everything all right?”
• Tokutaro suppressed a smile. More proof that this young woman was a fake. He listened with interest as they asked the returning daughter a slew of questions. He saw his chance when the headman went back inside the house to fetch something, so the carpenter slipped away from the crowd and around to the back of the house. He let himself in the back door to talk to the fraud’s father. “Sir, I must warn you that the young woman who has accompanied me here to your village in the shape of your daughter is not your daughter at all! I was walking by Maki Moor and as I passed a bamboo grove, a fox dashed into it and vanished. It appeared moments later disguised as your daughter and offered to walk me to the village. I pretended to be tricked by the foul spirit but I was far too clever to be taken in by such an obvious ruse. I just had to warn you so that you too could be on guard.”
• The headman considered this very odd story, head cocked to the side. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it, so he called over his wife and repeated what their visitor had told him in hushed tones. He had been bemused and confused, but his wife was enraged at this insult. She rounded on the interloper. “How dare you say such things about my daughter, Master Tokutaro! You come into my house and insult my child? That girl is our daughter, make no mistake about it. You should be ashamed of yourself for inventing such terrible lies.” The carpenter shrugged uncomfortably. “I can sympathize with your feelings, but I’m afraid you’ve been deceived. I am much more capable in such a situation than you and I am quite certain that this is a case of spirit sorcery. You have been befuddled by a fox!”
• The woman’s ire faded slightly at the visitor’s unflappable self-assurance. Doubt crept in. What if he was right? “Okay then, hot shot. If you’re so sure about this, what do you propose to do about it?” Tokutaro smiled slyly. “Don’t worry about it. Just leave everything to me, and I’ll strip the false skin off this mischievous beast in no time. Both of you head to the pantry and hide inside. Wait there while I reveal this fox’s true colors.” So saying, he turned on his heel and marched confidently over to the young woman he had met on the moor. With a cruel grin, he seized her by the back of the neck and dragged her inside the house and over to the hearth in the kitchen. Using all his strength earned by long hours working wood, Tokutaro forced the headman’s daughter to her knees beside the flames. 
• “What are you doing, Master Tokutaro? You’re hurting me! Stop it! Mother, father – help me!” She wailed in terror, unable to break out of his grip. He ignored her pleas, laughing at her cries. “You can’t fool me, fox witch! From the moment you leapt into the bamboo grove, I’ve been watching and waiting, biding my time. I knew you’d try to play some cruel trick on me, but I’ve turned the tables on you. I’ll force you to reveal your true form!” With another cruel laugh, he wrenched the poor woman’s arms behind her back and beat her mercilessly. He kicked her and stomped on her as she screamed and begged for mercy, but she found none. 
• “Fuck you, fox bitch! If this isn’t enough to force you to change back into your true form, I’ll have to turn up the heat.” His smile widened. “Literally.” As she wept, Tokaturo forced her face slowly towards the searing heat of the hearth’s flames, throwing more wood on the fire to get everything nice and awful. Her tears sizzled on her face and her skin began to boil and blacken. Still screaming in agony, the poor young woman died in Tokutaro’s arms. At the sound of her dying screams, the dead girl’s parents burst out of the pantry and came running. Shoving aside the terrible stranger, they cradled their dead daughter’s lifeless body. Hands trembling, they felt for any stir of breath but there was none. They also looked for any sign of the promised fox’s tail to prove that she had been an imposter, but likewise there was none. She had been exactly who she had said she was.
• Wailing in grief, the headman and his wife seized Tokutaro by his collar and shook him until his teeth rattled. “Murderer! You swore that our daughter was a fox, even though we told you she wasn’t. You tried to prove your ridiculous theory, but all you did was kill an innocent woman. You sentenced her to a senseless death, so now it’s your turn to suffer. Bring ropes to bind this criminal!” The house servants hurried to obey, seizing Tokutaro and tying him up to a strong pillar. “You murdered our daughter before our eyes, but we will not sink to your level. Your crimes will be reported to the lord of the manor and he will render justice. The punishment for your crimes is death by beheading, and we will watch you die.” The young woman’s burned body was carried respectfully into the pantry and a servant was sent to make the matter known in the village of Maki. 
• Before the servant could reach the door however, Anrakuji the temple priest from the village of Iwahara happened by. Accompanied by an acolyte and a servant, he stopped the servant from leaving and called out to the house in a loud voice “Is all well inside this honorable house? I have been out to the neighboring village today to say prayers and was making my way back home. I couldn’t pass by your home, my friend, and not stop to inquire about your welfare. If you are home, I would love to pay my respects.”
• The headman heard the priest’s voice and made his way somberly to the front door to greet him. After the required pleasantries had been exchanged, the man admitted that all was very much not well in the house. “I should be inviting you into my home tonight to dine with us, but I simply cannot. This house is under a dark cloud and I must beg your forgiveness for my rudeness.” And in a voice that was barely holding it together, he told Anrakuji the whole terrible story. The priest was horrified by the awful tale and, when the headman reached the end, he peered inside the home to see the murderer tied to the central column. His eyes widened in shock. “Tokutaro? Is that you?”
• The carpenter had long since stopped being sure about the young woman he had murdered being a fox and the consequences were starting to sink into his prideful skull. “It is indeed me, your reverence. Everything this man has told you is true, but it wasn’t my fault! I was absolutely certain that this poor young woman was a fox in disguise and I was just trying to make it reveal itself to everyone as the monster it was. I beg you, spare me, your reverence. Save my life!” The priest considered the carpenter’s heartfelt plea and obvious remorse. “It is well that you regret what you have done. If I save your life, then you must pledge yourself to a holy life. You will enter service with the temple, join the priesthood, and become my acolyte.” Tokutaro was only too happy to accept these terms. “Save my life and I will gladly become your disciple.”
• Ankrakuji nodded slowly. “I am but a humble priest, but I think that maybe it was fate that I came by today.” He raised his voice to speak to the parents of the murdered young woman. “I have a request to make of the both of you – putting Tokutaro to death will not bring your daughter back to life. I have heard your story and I have heard his as well. It is clear that though he did a terrible thing, he did it without malice. He wasn’t intending to murder anyone, only to reveal the presence of a malicious spirit. He was wrong, but he thought he was performing a service for your family. Rather than end another life for no point, I think it would be better to turn his life into one of service. Let him enter into my service as an acolyte and make up for his terrible mistake.”
• The grief-stricken couple bowed their heads at the priest’s words. “You are a wise man indeed, Anrakuji. It is true that this man’s death will not restore our daughter to life. If you think you can use him to do good in the world, then do so. Here. Now. Shave his head and make him a priest in front of us so we can get some small measure of closure.” Anrakuji nodded sagely. “That is a reasonable request. It shall be done.” He untied Tokutaro from the pillar and draped him in a priest’s garb, joining his hands in prayer. “Kneel before me and join the priesthood.” Producing a razor and intoning a sacred hymn, the priest shaved Tokaturo’s head in three smooth, quick strokes. 
• When the former carpenter finished his obeisance to the priest who was now his master and the ceremony was over, a loud peal of laughter erupted all around him. As it tinkled like quicksilver through the air, dawn broke over the horizon and Tokaturo found himself kneeling alone in the middle of Maki Moor. He rubbed his eyes wondering if it had all been a dream. Had he really murdered that poor woman, or had it all been in his mind? A thought occurred to him – had this all been a cruel trick by that fucking fox? He reached up to touch his head and found that, while everything else seemed to be some sort of illusion, his head had very much actually been shaved. He was as bald as a cueball.
• There was nothing to be done but for Tokaturo to stand, wrap a handkerchief around his nude head, and return to the place where the guests from the wine merchant’s feast were assembled. “Well hey there, Tokaturo. How’d it go with the foxes?” The disgraced carpenter bowed low before them. “I stand ashamed before you. I was wrong.” He then relayed the whole terrible tale to them, finishing by pulling off the kerchief to reveal his shaved head. There was a moment of silence as everyone stared before they all erupted into raucous laughter. They all thought it a truly inspired joke and, better yet, they were now owed fish and wine. Tokaturo paid his debt with honor, having finally learned humility. To remind himself of the awful lesson he had learned, he vowed to never let his hair grow out again. He renounced the world and truly did become a priest, taking the new name Sainen.
• I for one am glad to discover that the poor, innocent maiden was in fact not brutally murdered because of some dude’s totally unjustified bravado. It would have left a really bad taste in my mouth if Tokaturo’s punishment for his boastful words were based around someone else’s senseless torture and execution. And with Sainen now well on his way to turning his life around, it’s time for Gods and Monsters. This is a segment where I get into a little more detail about the personalities and history of one of the gods or monsters from this week’s pantheon that was not discussed in the main story. This week’s spirit creatures are the grateful foxes. 
• One fine spring day, many years ago, two friends (attended by a serving boy to carry their wine and provisions) went out to a moor to gather fern. This specific moor isn’t named in the story, so I’m going to pretend that it is the very same Maki Moor from the previous story to tie the two tales together. Your mileage may vary. As the two friends and their servant were wandering aimlessly around they saw an adorable sight up ahead – at the foot of a hill, a pair of foxes had brought their cub out to play in the tall grass. They watched the little fox bounding about and generally being adorable when they spied a much more common sight: three children from a neighboring village approaching with baskets in their hands clearly also out ferning. 
• When the kids saw the mom and pup playing at the foot of the hill, their careless amble turned into a stealthy sneaking. They all snatched up bamboo sticks in their free hands and spread out to surround the unaware foxes. When the animals noticed the approaching danger and tried to bolt, it was already too late. There were kids on all sides, leaving no escape. The adults managed to dash between the legs of the wildly swinging children with only a few bruises, but the fox kit was too scared to try. One of the boys seized it by the scruff of the neck and then held it aloft in triumph.
• The two friends saw this and felt bad for the baby fox. “Hey there, boys – whatcha planning on doing with that little fox?” The eldest boy looked over, still clutching his prize. “We’re taking him home to sell him to a young man in our village. He’ll boil the little kit alive and then eat him.” The two friends looked at each other, having a quick, silent conversation with nothing but eye twitches and raised eyebrows. The other spoke up. “Well if all you care about is selling the fox, then I guess it doesn’t matter who you sell it to, right? So how about you sell it to me instead? That’ll save you having to carry it all the way back to your village.”
• The boys whispered together at this unexpected development. “I mean, the guy specifically asked us to come up here and catch a fox for him and he promised us a whole lot of money to do it, so we can’t sell you this fox for any price. Sorry.” The adult sighed in resignation. “Well, fair enough. Out of curiosity, how much is the guy going to pay you?” “Oh, oodles – three hundred cash at least.” The older man nodded. “Well I was gonna offer you half a bu, which is 500 cash more than he’s offering but no big deal I guess.” That got the kids attention. There was another round of hushed whispering. Finally, the eldest boy stepped forward towards the two friends again. “That changes things. We’ll totally sell you this fox for half a bu. How do you want him?”
• The man smiled. He’d figured correctly that whoever the asshole back in town was, he’d specifically picked kids for this job so he could underpay them. “Oh, we can just tie him up over here.” The adult pulled out the string he had used to tie up his lunch inside its napkin and knotted it around the fox’s neck like a leash. That done, he handed over the promised half bu to the kids, who ran off talking excitedly about what they were gonna buy with their newfound riches.
• The man’s friend had stayed silent through this whole strange affair, but now that it was concluded, he sauntered over. “You’ve certainly got some weird tastes, friend. Why on earth did you buy a fox? What are you planning to do with him?” The first man snorted dismissively at his friend. “Kind of a dick move to insult my taste like that. Don’t know if you were listening, but this poor baby fox was about to die if we didn’t do something about it. Was I supposed to just stand by and watch it happen? It didn’t actually cost me that much money, but it would have been worth it even if it’d cost me a fortune. I thought you knew me well enough by now to know my good nature, but apparently not. Honestly, your reaction to this whole thing makes me distrust you. Like completely. Like, friendship over type of distrust. Yeah, I think my life would be better off without you as a friend.”
• I mean, I’m a big old softy when it comes to animals and I totally back his play with the fox, but I’m not sure his friend’s reaction – or former friend, I guess – is really enough to end a friendship over. He thought you did something kind of unusual, which is not a huge insult. Strangely, his friend seems to take it in stride. He bowed low towards the first man in deep respect, backing a few steps away. “I meant no disrespect, my friend. I am actually in awe of your kind heart and generous nature. You taking such a passionate interest in the well-being of this poor fox kit makes me respect you even more. I was just worried that you might be trying to use this innocent fox as bait to try and lure out the older foxes from their den. You know the legends – if you catch them, they can be made to bring good luck and good fortune on a home. I only called your tastes weird to test whether you were being sincere or if you were trying to trick a fox. It was unfair and unkind of me to doubt you, and I apologize most profusely.” 
• The first man listened to these words and then it was he who bowed just as low in apology. “I overreacted and I’m sorry. I can totally understand how you might be worried that I had ulterior motives in buying this fox. A lot of people in the village would have done just that. I apologize and also I accept  your apology. Friendship back on.” Having thus mended their relationship, the two men knelt down to examine the fox kit, who was trembling. They discovered that it was only partly in fear – the poor thing had hurt its foot and could hardly walk. Its shaking was equal parts pain and fear. They took pity on the injured creature but they weren’t entirely sure how to help.
• Looking around for an idea, they spotted an herb known as Doctor Nakase which was just starting to sprout for the year. It was well-known for its medicinal properties, so they crushed some of it in their fingers, mixed it with a little water, and applied the makeshift poultice to the fox’s wound. While they waited for that to set, the two friends thought it best to keep the critter occupied so it wouldn’t try to run away before the herb had done its work. Thus they pulled some boiled rice out from their lunch (which was no longer neatly wrapped without its string) and offered it to the baby fox. Alas, it showed no interest in eating so instead they just sat down with it, making soothing noises and petting it gently to calm it. 
• The poultice worked in record time. It wasn’t long at all before the wounded foot started looking better and started being able to take a little weight. The two friends exclaimed their amazement at how well the Doctor Nakase had worked, but they trailed off as they noticed two adult foxes watching them from beside some old rice sacks. “Oh look – the adults have come back to find their baby. His foot’s pretty well healed now, so he should be able to walk and now they can make sure he stays safe. Let’s untie him.” And so they did. The kit took a few tentative steps and, when it didn’t hurt, it bounded excitedly over to its parents, barking happily and licking the two adults in greeting. For their part, the elder foxes watched the two men and almost seemed to bow in thanks before all three vanished into the brush.
• Feeling quite good about the deed they had done, the two men picked up their lunch and found a nice scenic spot to eat it. Their friendship had become stronger than ever, and they returned to their homes after a very pleasant afternoon. Now, the man who had actually paid for the little fox was a fairly successful tradesman. He had several agents to help sell his wares and several maids and manservants to help around the house and the shop. Like he’d said, half a bu was chump change for him. He was happily married and had a ten year old son who he cherished. The next year passed in pleasant normalcy.
• Unfortunately, a rare, terrible illness struck the child the following year. They called in the doctor who, upon examination, declared that there was only one cure. “You must feed this boy the liver of a fox taken from the beast while it yet lives. Without this mystical panacea, no medicine in the world will be able to save your son’s life.” The parents were devastated to hear this. On the one hand, it was good that there was some cure for what ailed their beloved child. On the other, they were loathe to kill an innocent creature in such a terrible, painful way to do so. After much consideration, they went to a man who lived alone on the mountain not too far from the village. “Even though it would kill our child, we can’t bear to torture and murder a poor fox in such a way. If you happen to hear of someone out hunting though who has taken the liver of a living fox, we’ll pay whatever we must to obtain it. To be clear, we’re not hiring you to do this thing, only to let us know if you hear of someone who has already done so themselves on their own.” Since fox liver was a known mystical and expensive medicine, it’s actually fairly reasonable to hope that this guy might stumble across someone out hunting who took the liver from the live fox in order to sell it. It’s a fine line, but I can understand their decision. It is literally their child’s life on the line, after all.
• The following night, a messenger appeared at their door with a small jar. He said that he had come from the old mountain man with the requested fox liver, promising that he would let them know the price in a few days. It’s always a risky bet to agree to a price without knowing what it is, but these two parents were desperate. They agreed and took the jar, thanking both the messenger and the mountain man for their help. The wife insisted that they should offer the messenger a gift for his trouble, but he insisted that he had already been paid in full. The tradesman accepted this refusal politely. “Well at the very least, you must allow us to put you up for the night. It’s already very late and it would be quite rude to make you sleep outside after you delivered salvation for our son.” Again the messenger refused. “I actually have family in the next village over who I was on my way to see when the mountain man asked me to deliver this medicine. I haven’t seen them in a long time, so I appreciate your offer but I would prefer to stay the night with them.” Reluctantly, the couple let the messenger leave without any sort of recompense.
• As soon as he was gone, they sent one of their servants to inform the doctor that the liver had been acquired. He arrived bright and early the next day to minister the medicine, mixing it with the proper herbs. The effect was almost immediate, color returning to the child’s face and his labored breathing easing. The household celebrated this miracle, thanking the doctor for all his help and good advice. 
• Three days later, the mountain man stopped by the family house to check on things. The boy’s father bowed deeply to him, weeping with joy. “I can’t thank you enough for obtaining that fox liver for us. Our son is doing much better now, and it’s all thanks to you. Whatever price you wish, we will gladly pay.” The mountain man looked back and forth between the man and his wife with a puzzled expression. “Payment? For what? I don’t know anything about any fox liver and I certainly didn’t send any your way. I haven’t found a single hunter since you and I last spoke; I was just stopping by to check on your son. I’m thrilled to hear he’s doing better, but I’m afraid I had nothing to do with it.”
• The boy’s father cocked his head quizzically. “You must be mistaken. Just four days ago, we had a man in his mid-thirties arrive with a jar of fresh fox liver. He told us it was from you and that you would be along in a few days to collect your fee. We asked him to stay the night with us since it was quite late when he arrived, but he has family in the next village over and went to visit with them.” The mountain man was now just as confused as the husband and wife were, and neither could make heads nor tails of the events of the last few days. They eventually parted ways with a nagging feeling that something obvious had been missed. 
• That night, the tradesman awoke to find a woman in her early thirties standing beside the bed watching him. Before he could say anything, she held up a finger for silence. “My apologies for intruding, but I thought you were owed an explanation. I am the fox that lives on the nearby mountain that you met last spring. My son was stolen away by a pack of human boys and was only spared a terrible fate by your kind intervention. That unpaid debt gnawed at my soul, so when I heard of the calamity that had struck your house, I knew I had to do something. Your son’s illness could not be cured without the liver of a live fox, so to repay your selfless deed, I killed my own kit and took out his liver. My mate brought it to your house in disguise the other night.”
• As she spoke, silent tears streamed down the fox woman’s face. The man tried to thank her for her incredible and awful gift, but he found that he was too choked up to do anything but sob and his eyes filled with bitter tears. The commotion woke his wife, who turned over rubbing her eyes to ask what was the matter. She saw her husband weeping into his pillow all alone. He explained to her all that had happened the year before – how he had saved a young fox from a brutal death and, in repayment, the fox’s parents had slain him and used its liver to save their son. He told her also how the she-fox had come to him to explain all this, and how her grief had moved him. “I don’t know how the foxes heard about our plight, but they did and they made the ultimate sacrifice to repay us.” The woman began to sob as well once she understood the terrible price that had been paid to save her son’s life. 
• Together, the couple lit the candle on the family altar and spent the rest of the night in prayer. The next day, they told the entire household what they had learned, spreading the story to all of their friends and family. The foxes had made a great sacrifice, but the story would not go untold. It was the least they could do. The boy grew up hearing this story and so, when he got older, he found the most beautiful, serene spot in the area and built a shrine to Inari, the Fox Goddess (very much like the ones in Ghost of Tsushima, if you’ve played that incredible game). He offered sacrifices to the two old foxes who had saved his life.
• That story does not end the way that I expected at all. The story says that while there are tales of humans sacrificing their children to pay a debt, there are no other such stories about foxes. I personally would have thought that one of the parents would have offered up its own liver before slaying their child, but maybe the liver needed to be young to work. Or maybe there had to be some cosmic balance, a life for a life. Since the young fox’s life had been the one spared, it was his life that had to be spent. I still feel like there could have been another way to obtain that liver, but maybe the sacrifice is part of it. Without that taking of a life, there is no magic in the liver. Either way, it goes to show the incredible lengths that foxes will go to repay a debt, be that for good or ill. So if you happen to meet a fox (or a stranger in need for that matter since it could be a kitsune in disguise), be sure to treat it kindly. It’s the right thing to do and it will keep you out of their mischievous bad graces. 
• That’s it for this episode of Myths Your Teacher Hated.  Keep up with new episodes on our Facebook page, on iTunes, on TuneIn, on Vurbl, and on Spotify, or you can follow us on Instagram as MythsYourTeacherHatedPod, on Tumblr as MythsYourTeacherHated, on Bluesky as MythsPodcast, and on Mastodon as MythsYourTeacherHated.  You can also find news and episodes on our website at myths your teacher hated dot com. If you have any questions, any gods or monsters you’d want to learn about, or any ideas for future stories that you’d like to hear, feel free to drop me a line.  I’m trying to pull as much material from as many different cultures as possible, but there are all sorts of stories I’ve never heard, so suggestions are appreciated.  The theme music is by Tiny Cheese Puff. 
• Next time, a Hungarian baroness will regale us with a story of dark sorcery and royal intrigue. You’ll see that no one can be trusted when a throne is involved, that cats have always been hard to kill, and that night swimming is good for your health and the health of your pets. Then, in Gods and Monsters, a peasant named John will engage in a verbal duel with a king for the right to marry a princess. That’s all for now. Thanks for listening.