Crackle Mountain
(Adapted Asian Folktales)
Once upon a time there
lived an old woodcutter and his wife, and their beloved pet Hare. They were
poor but managed a simple and happy existance by living close to the deep
forest where the old man collected wood.
Everyday the gentle
woodcutter would leave food out for the Hare's breakfast before the woodcutter
went off to work. One morning along came a mischievous Tanuki, who was passing
though the neighbourhood. Seeing this yummy food, he fell to eating it until not
a morsel remained for the Hare.
"Hey! You there!
That's not for you," cried the woodcutter spying the thief. He snatched up
the Tanuki, bound his legs and hung him from a high beam. Thinking that it was
now late, the old man picked up his basket and hurried off into the forrest to
collect the wood that kept body and soul together.
Now, this was not the
kind of treatment the Tanuki was used to. Inside he was very, very mad, but
Tanuki are very sneaky and so when the old woman came outside to start cooking
the evening meal the crafty Tanuki, wept and sighed. The old woman was moved by
his tears and with a tender heart cut the Tanuki down and freed him from his
bonds. You might have thought that one would be grateful, but no! The Tanuki
was as spiteful as snake's blood and to revenge himself upon the old man, he
knocked the old woman on the head when her back was turned. He skinned her and
cooked her up in the cooking pot!!!
When the dear old
woodcutter returned there stood his beloved wife with a steaming bowl of stew
ready for him on the table, yum. He was very hungry from working all day
without lunch. He slurped down the very tasty stew, licked his lips and praised
his wife for such a delicious meal. But to his surprise his wife's shape began
to shimmer - blinking, he saw to his horror that it wasn't his wife at all, but
that wretched Tanuki! Ah, what had happen to his wife? The Tanuki was laughing
and pointing at the soup. "Old man," he squealed, "you ate her
up, you ate your wife!" The old man reeling backwards fell from his seat
and fainted into unconsciousness.
Oh, what a rotten Tanuki
this was.
The Hare had come home
late from a visit to his relatives and had entered the house just in time to
see this monstrous scene. Hanging back in the shadows to avoid being seen, the
Hare resolved to revenge his family. He followed the Tanuki for days, studying
his habits and ways. And, being quite clever himself, hatched a cunning plan to
become the Tanuki's traveling companion.
One day when the
Tanuki had gathered on his back some firewood for cooking, the Hare secretly
set it alight. The kindling cracked and popped as it started to burn. "My
word!", exclaimed the Tanuki, "what's that sharp sound?" To
this, "Oh!" answered the Hare, "this is called Crackle Mountain.
There is always this noise here." Much comforted by his friend's
explaination the Tanuki walked on, curiously listening to the hissing and
crackling. All of a sudden the Tanuki's back got very hot and,
"Owieeeee!!!" he yelled. His back was burning, his fur smoked and his
skin was blacked and curled. The Hare had got his first taste of revenge.
The Tanuki was very
badly injured and so the pair holed up for a while in a small cave. The Hare
played the part of the caring friend and promised the Tanuki a special poultice
that would easy his pain. The hare left for a near by village to get supplies
for the poultice. When he return he was carrying a red bag ready to be applied
to the raw flesh of the wounded Tanuki. Desperate to relieve his pain the
Tanuki grabbed the bag out of Hare's paw and quickly layed it on his own back.
"Ahooooooiiiiiieeeeee!" cried the Tanuki. The Hare had filled the bag
with Cayenne pepper to trick his hated companion.
After this the Hare
moved down to the seaside, which was close by the cave, until the Tanuki
recovered. After many months of pain and suffering the Tanuki was well enough
to leave the cave. He wandered down to the water's edge to complain to his
friend for mixing up the poultice with pepper, when he noticed that Hare was
building a boat. "Where are you going with that," he asked the Hare.
"I'm building this boat to row to the City on the Moon." The greedy
Tanuki had heard of the wounderous City on the Moon and his eyes grew
feverishly round. "I too will build a boat to row to the City on the
Moon." And so the Tanuki fashioned a boat for himself, however, being
unskilled in carpentry as the clever Hare was, he moulded his boat out of the
clay he dug from the cave.
When the boats were
completed and the tide swelled with the night of the full moon, the Hare and
the Tanuki lauched themselves upon the waves. The Hare pulled on his oars, and
the Tanuki strained with all his muscle against the sea. Their boats shot out
into the deep waters, where the loud groans of the gaint Sea Dragons could be
heard in their underwater palaces. It was here, were the water was blackest,
that the Tanuki's clay boat begun to break and crumble. "Help me!"
pleaded the Tanuki, "Help me Friend!" But the Hare had a stern look
in his eye. "Help me!" cried the Tanuki again, clawing the side of
the boat trying to grab hold of Hare's oar. The Hare snatched it away and
brought it down hard upon the clay boat, smashing it with a single blow. The
terrified Tanuki fell backwards with a crash, and plunged into the water with
the remains of his boat. The cold sea swallowed him up and his malefic spirit
was chained to the bottom of the ocean by the Dragon's scaley minions.
The Hare having lost
the family he loved rowed on towards the City on the Moon.
********
Tanuki is a
raccoon-like dog often mistakenly referred to as a badger. The Tanuki is a
trickster spirit from Japanese folklore - often mischievous but can sometimes
be helpful.
Images:
1.Tanuki and Rabbit by
Kita Busei (1776-1856), 1831. Woodblock print, surimomo, 20.2 x 18.2 cm.
Spencer Museum of Art: William Bridges Thayer Memorial, 28.355. Taken from the
book, Japanese Ghosts and Demons, ISBN 0-8076-1126-3
2. Image taken from
Tales of Old Japan, A.B. Mitford, Wordworth Editions reprinting, 2000. ISBN
1-84022-510-6
3. High Footed,
Moulded dish with hare, moon and waves, Nabeshima ware. Porcelain with
underglaze colbalt-blue. Circa 1700-1720 CE. Height 3cm, diameter 14.5cm. The
Bristish Museum, London, Franks 1292. Image from Arts of Asia (magazine)
Volume 34 Number1.
