Once there was an elderly couple living on a farm. They were troubled by a wicked Tanuki (raccoon dog) who would come to eat the crops and seeds. So one day the old man set out traps, and caught the Tanuki. He gives the Tanuki to his wife, and asks her to make Tanuki soup.
While tied up in the kitchen, the Tanuki begs the old woman to spare his life. She takes pity on him and releases him. But as soon as he was untied, the Tanuki grabs a large wooden pestle and beats the old woman to death. He chops up her body, and cooks her flesh into soup. Then he shapeshifts into the form of the old woman.
When the old man returns from the fields, the Tanuki serves him the soup. After he finishes eating, the Tanuki turns back into his true form, and taunts him. “You just ate old woman soup! You just ate your wife! See her bones under the stove?” Furious, the old man chases the Tanuki, but he escapes into the mountains.
To get revenge, the old man seeks out his friend: the clever Rabbit.
The Rabbit invites the Tanuki to go up the mountains and gather firewood to sell. On their way back, he strikes a flint under the bundle of firewood on the Tanuki’s back. *Kachi-kachi, kachi-kachi*.
“What’s that sound?” the Tanuki asks.
The Rabbit replies, “This is Kachi-Kachi Yama (‘Click-Clack Mountain’). That’s just the singing of the click-clack birds.” So the Tanuki keeps walking, while the Rabbit lights his firewood on fire with the flint, burning his back. To ease his pain, the Rabbit gives him a poultice made of peppers, which only makes it worse.
When the Tanuki recovers, the Rabbit invites him to go fishing. He had prepared two boats beforehand: a small one made of wood, and a big one made of mud. Being greedy, the Tanuki takes the mud boat. They paddle out to sea, and the mud boat starts to melt. “Save me! Save me!” the Tanuki splashed and pleaded. But the Rabbit beats him on the head with the oar until he drowns. He returns to the old man, and tells him his wife has been avenged.
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[Museum](https://rietberg.ch/en/collections/2024-146). The story of *Kachi-Kachi Yama*:
Once there was an elderly couple living on a farm. They were troubled by a wicked Tanuki (raccoon dog) who would come to eat the crops and seeds. So one day the old man set out traps, and caught the Tanuki. He gives the Tanuki to his wife, and asks her to make Tanuki soup.
While tied up in the kitchen, the Tanuki begs the old woman to spare his life. She takes pity on him and releases him. But as soon as he was untied, the Tanuki grabs a large wooden pestle and beats the old woman to death. He chops up her body, and cooks her flesh into soup. Then he shapeshifts into the form of the old woman.
When the old man returns from the fields, the Tanuki serves him the soup. After he finishes eating, the Tanuki turns back into his true form, and taunts him. “You just ate old woman soup! You just ate your wife! See her bones under the stove?” Furious, the old man chases the Tanuki, but he escapes into the mountains.
To get revenge, the old man seeks out his friend: the clever Rabbit.
The Rabbit invites the Tanuki to go up the mountains and gather firewood to sell. On their way back, he strikes a flint under the bundle of firewood on the Tanuki’s back. *Kachi-kachi, kachi-kachi*.
“What’s that sound?” the Tanuki asks.
The Rabbit replies, “This is Kachi-Kachi Yama (‘Click-Clack Mountain’). That’s just the singing of the click-clack birds.” So the Tanuki keeps walking, while the Rabbit lights his firewood on fire with the flint, burning his back. To ease his pain, the Rabbit gives him a poultice made of peppers, which only makes it worse.
When the Tanuki recovers, the Rabbit invites him to go fishing. He had prepared two boats beforehand: a small one made of wood, and a big one made of mud. Being greedy, the Tanuki takes the mud boat. They paddle out to sea, and the mud boat starts to melt. “Save me! Save me!” the Tanuki splashed and pleaded. But the Rabbit beats him on the head with the oar until he drowns. He returns to the old man, and tells him his wife has been avenged.
And the moral is?
Don’t be bad?