Raccoon Bill

Raccoon Bill

There lived a young raccoon dog in a mountain, who was helped from a trap by a kind man.

“Bang-bang.” there was a sound on the door of his door at the night.
“Who is it? It’s so late. I’m in bed. Come again tomorrow.” said the man.
“Bang-bang.” The knock was louder.
“Who are you?”
“I’m a raccoon dog. I’m a raccoon dog helped by you today in the mountain.”
“Oh,I see. It’s you. I remember you.”
He opened the door getting out of his bed.
“Why did you come to me so late tonight?”
“I was told by my parents to work for you because I owed my life to you.”
“I’m surprised that the badger has a sense of duty. By the way, what can you do?”
“I can clean your house, wash your clothes, cook your meals, and I can change myself into anything.”
One idea occurred to him.
“Is it true? Can you change yourself into money, 10,000-yen bill?”
“10,000-yen bill? It is very easy.”

The raccoon dog quickly changed into it.
“Wow. It’s perfect. (He took it.) It’s warm.” said the man.

“It is a hot cake from the oven.” answered the raccoon.
“To tell the truth, I borrowed much money from a merchant and used it for gambling to get lots of money in vain.
Tomorrow he will come to me to get the money.”
The next day the merchant visited him.
And the man welcomed him at the entrance.
“Please come in. I’ll return money now. Here it is.”
“This is a very beautiful bill. It’s warm.”
“Of course, it is. Take care of it.”
“Take care of it?”
“I said to myself. Never mind.”
The merchant left his house with the money.　
But soon the raccoon dog came home.
“Master, Why did you tell him such a thing? He never believed you.
He said it was impossible for you to have money.
And he watched me carefully under the sunlight and touched me many times.
After that he folded me into a half, a quarter and pushed me into the wallet.
It hurt my back. I couldn’t breathe myself.
At last I broke wind in it.
I couldn’t stand the smell.
So I bit the bottom of it and ran away to you.”

The end