A Threesome's Tales

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 120: The Bean, The Straw, and the Ash (Misty)

(real tale: "Folktales in Japan" episode 42, story 3)

"Once, a woman was about to prepare some beans for her dinner one evening when one of them fell out of the basket," Ash decides to perform a "falling" sound effect with a slide whistle to illustrate Misty's point. "rolled across the floor..." Brock scrapes a stick on a rock for effect. "and into the grass."

The Pokemon giggle at the sounds. "The woman figured one missing bean wouldn't ruin the meal, and went to get some straw to light the fire." Misty assures her audience. "Suddenly, a breeze blew up, and blew a piece of straw near where the bean landed."

"Pini?" Happini asks.

"She figured one missing piece of straw wouldn't hurt anything, and lit the stove." Misty replies. Brock lights a match himself for effect.

"Pika?" Pikachu asks as Brock uses the match to light a camp stove.

"But one of the embers went flying out of the stove and into the grass, where it became a piece of ash." Misty explains. "The bean suggested that the three of them go to Wishmaker Peak. The straw and the ash loved the idea, and the three departed on their journey early the next morning, eager to ask Jirachi for a wish."

"Did they get there safely?" Ash asks, toying with the slide whistle all the while.

"The journey was relatively uneventful until they came to a raging river." Misty replies. "The straw suggested stretching himself across the gap so the bean and the ash could cross. The ash volunteered to go first, but then made the mistake of looking down at the river far below and chickened out, burning the straw and sending them into the river." Ash does another "falling" note for effect, to the Pokemon's delight.

"The bean found this so funny, his shell split, making him cry in pain." Misty intones, quieting the laughter. "Luckily, a needle happened to be passing that way, and sewed him back up, creating the distinct black line certain beans have to this day."

Brock acknowledges Ash as the others applaud. Ash just smiles nervously and takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 121: How Eien-no-Kurayami Finally Died (Ash)

(real tale: The Death of Koshchei the Deathless)


"In a certain kingdom there lived a prince who was brave, kind, and unselfish--we'll call him Shiro." Ash begins. He had three sisters--Princess Aiiro, the eldest, Princess Akaino, the middle sister, and Princess Midori, the youngest."

After a few beats, he continues Their father and mother had died not long before all of them came of age. They had told Prince Shiro to give the girls in marriage to the very first suitors who came to woo them."

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Brock stammers as he tends to the pita pockets simmering on the camp stove--giving someone to the first suitor that courted them hardly ended well.

"One day, they were all strolling in the royal gardens when a storm rolled in. They had just made it back inside when the rain started pouring, and the thunder rolled." Ash goes on. "As the four of them caught their breaths, who should appear on the window but Zapdos!"

"Wow!" Melody gasps.

"Zapdos transformed himself into a young man, and said to Shiro..." Ash then intones in a deeper version of himself "Hail and well met, Prince Shiro! Before I came as a guest, but now I have come as a suitor! I wish to ask for your sister, the Princess Aiiro."

He then replies as a high pitched version of himself for Prince Shiro "If you find favor in the eyes of my sister, I will respect her wishes."

"And so Princess Aiiro gave her consent; Zapdos married her and brought her back into his own realm." Ash continues as himself. "A year went by, and then the same thing happened--Shiro and the girls got caught in a storm while out in the gardens, and just barely made it back to the castle before the heavens opened up. When they had caught their breaths, Articuno appeared on the windowsill!"

Misty is confused. "Isn't Articuno usually a female?"

"In some Kanto lore, Articuno is male." Brock assures her. "Including this tale."

"Articuno requested Princess Akaino in marriage, Akaino consented, and they were married not long after." Ash goes on. "The next year, the same thing happened again, only this time Moltres appeared, asking for Princess Midori. For a while, Prince Shiro loved having the castle to himself, but after a year went by, he wondered how his sisters were doing."

"And how were they doing?" Misty asks.

"So after he got ready for the journey, his travels were relatively uneventful at first." Ash replies. "Then one day, he saw a whole army dead on the plain. He called out for anyone that could answer to tell him who or what what had caused the horrific scene. A man then told him that whole army had been slain by Princess Aiiro-no-Megami, the Icy Snow Goddess."

"The same Aiiro as his sister?" Melody is confused.

"Shiro rode on until he came to Aiiro-no-Megami's camp, where he found favor in her eyes. She invited him to stay with her in her homeland, and it wasn't long before they were married."

"Pika chu pi pikapi pika pika." Pikachu replies with a smirk.

Ash chuckles. "The story doesn't end there, Pikachu--one day, Aiiro-no-Megami had to head out for the battlefield to defend her homeland, instructing Shiro to not look in a certain closet. Sadly, curiosity got the better of Shiro, and when he peeked inside, he inadvertently released the evil spirit Eien-no-Kurayami, who Aiiro-no Megami had kept bound so she could banish him to the dark realm when she returned."

Everyone gasps at the turn of events. "Eien-no Kurayami wasted no time in capturing Aiiro-no-Megami." Ash continues. "Shiro was understandably devastated, and vowed to move heaven and earth to save Aiiro-no-Megami."

"Pi ni?" Happini gasps, excited about a quest.

"Prince Shiro walked on for three days, and on the morning of the third day he saw a wondrous palace, and by the side of the palace stood an oak, and on the oak sat Zapdos." Ash continues. "Needless to say, his sister Aiiro was overjoyed to see him, and they spent three days catching up with each other. Then Shiro said he had to go search for Aiiro-no Megami. Zapdos bade him leave a topaz behind, in case something should happen to him. He then went on and visited his other sisters, and left a sapphire with Articuno and a ruby with Moltres, in case something should happen to him."

"I think I know where this is going..." Misty smiles.

"After a long journey, Prince Shiro came to where Aiiro-no-Megami was being held." Ash continues as he grabs a whistle from his bag. "She was overjoyed to see Prince Shiro again, but also asked him why he had set free Eien-no-Kurayami. Shiro explained that his curiosity had spurred him to do it, and that he had left jewels with the Legendary Birds--if something happened to him or they escaped Eien-no-Kurayami's lair, the three jewels would summon Lugia when the spellsong of awakening was played."

"And then?" Brock is piqued.

"Aiiro-no-Megami said she had a magic whistle to play Lugia's awakening spellsong at the appointed time." Ash replies, showing his audience the whistle. "They had not gotten very far away until they saw Eien-no-Kurayami chasing them!"

"Pi!" Pikachu gasps, afraid for Prince Shiro and Aiiro-no-Megami.

"Try as Prince Shiro might to fight off Eien-no-Kurayami, he was soundly defeated and left for dead." Ash intones before readying the whistle to play. "About then, the three gems began glowing as Aiiro-no-Megami wept at her beloved's side, spurring her to play the awakening spellsong..." With that, he plays Lugia's Song for effect.

Misty just smiles as the Pokemon cheer. I knew he was gonna play that at one point in the story!

"Needless to say, Eien-no-Kurayami was no match for Lugia's power." Ash concludes. "Lugia also healed Prince Shiro, allowing him to return with Aiiro-no-Megami to her homeland, where they ruled for many years and went on many more adventures. "But that is another story for another day!"

Misty leads the applause as Brock presents Ash with a meat and vegetable pocket. "As a reward for the great story, you can have the first bite of a little snack."

"Thanks!" Ash wastes no time digging in....

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 122: How Froagie Tricked Raikou (Brock)

(real tale: The Tiger and the Frog)


"Okay..." Brock muses as he finishes cleaning the camp stove and giving the dishes to Misty's Pokemon to wash. "That should hold us until dinner."

He thinks for a moment for a story to tell, then begins "Once upon a time, in the days when the world was young and all Pokemon understood each other's languages, an old, old Raikou went out hunting for some food. As he was walking along the banks of a stream, a Froagie saw him and was terrified. He thought, 'This Raikou's gonna eat me...'

Giggles go up as Brock continues "So he climbed up on a lilly pad and when the Raikou approached, called out..." In a higher pitched version of himself, he calls "Hey, where are you going?"

"I am going up into the forest to catch something to eat." he replies in a deeper version of himself. "I haven't eaten in two or three days, and I am very weak and hungry. I guess I can eat you, if I can't find anything else. But, who are you, anyway?"

"I am the king of the Froagies!" he boldly declares in character as Froagie. "I can jump any distance and can do anything. Let's see who can jump across the river!"

As himself, he continues "Raikou agreed to Froagie's challenge, and as he crouched ready to jump, Froagie bit the end of his tail with his mouth. So when Raikou jumped, he landed on the other bank, but a few feet away from where he thought he would land. He looked long and hard for any sign of Froagie. Just as he was about to consider Froagie a lost cause, a familiar voice asked him..." As Froagie, Brock asks "What'cha looking for way down there, Raikou?"

Everyone laughs as they picture Raikou's reaction. "Raikou whirled around to find Froagie behind him." Brock continues. "When Raikou noticed a few bits of fur in Froagie's mouth, Froagie just boasted..."

As Froagie, he declares "Why, yesterday I killed a Raikou and ate him for dinner, and these are just a few of the hairs that went down the wrong way."

As himself, he continues "Now, Raikou was shaking in his paws at this, and slowly backed away from Froagie..." He takes a few steps back to emphasize his point. "Then he made a mad dash for a nearby mountain!"

Misty's laughter is the loudest at this. "As the Raikou hurried up the mountain, he met a Fennekin on the trail , who asked why he was running so quickly." Brock goes on. "Raikou explained everything that had happened, but Fennekin just laughed and said there was nothing to be afraid of, especially not a Froagie."

"Famous last words..." Ash whispers, making Melody giggle.

"Just to be sure Fennekin wouldn't run away, Raikou tied her tail to his." Brock goes on. "When they returned to the river, Froagie saw them coming and said..."

As Froagie again, he calls "Oi, Fennekin! You haven't paid your toll today, nor brought any meat either. Is that a Growlithe you've got tied to your tail and are you bringing him for my dinner?"

He concludes as himself "Now Raikou was really freaked out, for he thought Fennekin was taking him to be eaten. So he turned tail and ran as fast as he could go, dragging poor Fennekin with him. As far as I know, they may still be running to this day."

Laughter and applause fill the tent as Brock takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 123: The Impossible Enchantment (Misty)

(real tale: An Impossible Enchantment)


"In a far away land, there once lived a king who was much loved by his people, and he loved them in return." Misty begins. "He led a very happy life, but he detested the very idea of marrying, nor had he ever felt the slightest desire to fall in love. His subjects, meanwhile, begged him to marry, and after months of bugging him, he promised to try to do so. But as he had never cared for any woman he had seen, he made up his mind to travel in hopes of meeting some lady he could love."

"That's a good idea." Brock smiles.

"So after leaving the kingdom in charge of a trusted regent, he set out, attended by only one servant." Misty goes on. "He wasn't the sharpest tack in the drawer, but he did have very good sense."

She adds as an aside "These kinds of people usually make the best traveling companions.", giving a nod to Ash, who smiles at this.

"Azu?" Azurill asks.

"Well, the king explored several countries, doing all he could to fall in love, to no avail." Misty replies. "He finally came home after traveling for two years."

"And then?" Ash wonders.

"As he was riding along through a forest, he suddenly heard the most horrible yowling you can imagine." Misty replies "The noise drew nearer, and nearer, and at last they saw a hundred huge Persians rush through the trees close to them. They were so closely packed together that you could easily have covered them with a large cloak, and all were following the same track. They were closely pursued by two enormous Infernapes, dressed in purple suits, with the prettiest and best made boots you ever saw."

Brock chuckles as he pictures the odd scene. "The Infernapes rode beautiful Arcanines, and spurred them on in hot haste, blowing shrill blasts on little toy trumpets all the time." Misty continues, spurring Ash to laugh. "The king and his servant watched this strange hunt in awe, which was followed by twenty or more dwarfs, some mounted on Mightyenas, and others with leashed Persians, and similarly dressed to the Infernapes."

The boys and the Pokemon howl with laughter at the ridiculous scene. "A moment later, a beautiful young woman mounted on a Raikou came into view." Misty goes on. "She passed close to the king, riding at full speed, without taking any notice of him; but he was enchanted by her, and his heart was gone in a moment. Then he saw that one of the dwarfs had fallen behind the rest, and asked him what the heck was going on."

"So what in the heck WAS going on?" Brock asks.

"The dwarf told him that the lady he had just seen was Princess Tora, the daughter of the king of the land where they were." Misty explains. "He added that the princess was very fond of hunting, and that she was now in pursuit of Bunearies."

"That still doesn't explain the hunting party..." Ash muses.

"The king then asked the way to the court, and went on his way." Misty goes on. "He got there in a couple of hours. As soon as he arrived, he presented himself to the king and queen, and on mentioning his own name and country, was welcomed with open arms. Not long after, the princess returned, and hearing that the hunt had been very successful, the king complimented her on it, but she would not answer a word."

"Hm..." Melody is interested in Princess Tora's silence.

"Her silence surprised him, but he was still more astonished when he found that she never spoke once all through dinner." Misty goes on. "Sometimes she seemed like she would say something, but her father or mother would take the conversation in another direction. However, this silence did not cool the king's affection, and when he went to his room at night he confided his feelings to his faithful servant. But the servant--we'll call him Tristan--was by no means delighted at his lord's love affair, and took no pains to hide his disappointment."

Brock decides to fill in the king's dialogue. "Why are you vexed?" Surely Princess Tora is beautiful enough to please anyone..."

"She is certainly very beautiful." Ash replies as Tristan. "but to be happy in love something more than beauty is required. To tell the truth, milord...her expression seems to be hard."

"That is pride and dignity," Brock replies the king, "and nothing can be more becoming."

"Call it what you will," Ash continues as Tristan. "but in my mind the choice of that many fierce Pokemon as her companions--and even her name, speaks of a fierce nature, and I have a sneaking suspicion about the steps taken to prevent her speaking."

The Pokemon applaud the interplay before Misty goes on "So the next day the king asked for the hand of Princess Tora. It was granted him on two conditions--one, the wedding had to take place the very next day; and two, that he should not speak to the princess until she was his wife. The king agreed,in spite of Tristan's objections, so that the first words he would hear his bride utter was the ‘I do' she would say at their marriage."

"Uh oh..." Melody swallows hard.

"Tristan's fears proved true, as the king found out the hard way." Misty continues. "The young queen made herself most disagreeable to all her court, her spite and bad temper knew no bounds, and before the end of the month she was known far and wide as a regular Ninetales."

Mai decides that is as far as the tale needs to go. [Can't we choose something better suited for the little ones?]

Azurill whines in agreement. "You're right...I'll see what I can think of while the boys take their turns." Misty assures Mai.

[EmeraldSky]

Thank you--the collection will never be complete so long as I find a tale to tell.

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 124: The Pool of Varnish (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 43, story 2)

"In a certain village lived two brothers who made their keep making cups and bowls." Ash begins, "They would carve the wood, paint them with varnish, and then sell them. But getting the materials for varnish was hard, as it came from a certain tree in the summertime, and if you ever got it on you, your skin would itch for days." Laughter fills the air as Ash feigns scratching itches all around him.

"One day, the two of them were spending the day swimming in a river when a Wartortle passed by." he continues. "They decided to follow it, and it led them to a huge deposit of varnish."

Awed gasps go up at this. "After gathering some of the varnish, they found that just a little bit on a finger would be able to make tons of bowls and cups." Ash explains. "The people were amazed at the cups and bowls' beauty, and many paid a pretty gold piece." He flips a coin for effect. "The brothers quickly sold out of their initial batch, and before long, could hardly keep up with demand. But one day, the younger brother got the idea to horde all the varnish for himself."

After waiting for the angry murmurs to quiet, he goes on "So one day, when the elder brother dove in to get more varnish, he saw a Gyarados waiting for him down below!"

The Pokemon yelp and scream at this. "He was so afraid of what else was in the river, he decided to look for work in town, while the younger brother stayed behind. But when the younger brother dove in, the Gyarados was still there!"

The screams turn to laughter as Ash continues "He was thrown back onto the surface, but when he dove back in, the Gyarados and the varnish were gone. He quickly hurried into town and apologized to his brother for wanting to horde the varnish for himself. Thankfully, the elder brother forgave him, and they returned home."

He concludes "From that day on, their work became popular again, but they never forgot to share what they earned with the townsfolk, particularly the less fortunate."

"Moral of the story? Greed doesn't pay." Brock smiles as he leads the applause..

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 125: The Mint Girl (Brock)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan" episode 44, story 3)

"There was once a certain inn that stood by Mt. Moon, where the Pokemon Center is today." Brock begins. "The couple that ran it were very greedy, and so no one wanted to stay there."

"I can see why..." Misty muses.

"They'd probably charge an arm and a leg for one night." Ash agrees.

"One day, a traveler stopped there and gave the innkeeper an odd bag." Brock continues. "The wife was excited, believing the bag to be filled with gold. They fantasized about building a bigger inn, or traveling to Wishmaker Peak--or anywhere else, as they had never really traveled before." He then intones "So the wife plotted to have the bag be somehow left behind."

"That's not very nice!" Melody is appalled at the wife's greed.

"The innkeeper remembered an old story about a miko that was forgetful, and ate mint to help her remember things." Brock goes on. "When she died, mint grew all around her grave. The wife on the other hand, believed the opposite--the sweet smell of mint, she presumed, made you forget things. So if the traveler ate a lot of mint, he would forget about the bag!"

Giggles fill the air at this. "The woman gathered all the mint she could find, and made tons of minty food." Brock continues. "Mint salad, mint soup, mint and potatoes, Mareep with mint sauce, and mint cookies were just a fraction of the menu!"

"You're making Ash hungry..." Misty giggles as she notices Ash drooling at eating all the food Brock described.

Brock just goes on "The traveler was amazed by the meal, and the innkeeper explained that it was the special mint feast. All through dinner, they kept cramming mint down the traveler's throat."

[So what did all that mint do?] Korra wonders.

"The next morning, the traveler took his wallet and departed, much to the couple's shock." Brock replies.

He concludes "It wasn't until a few hours later that they realized that the room was not paid for, so the traveler forgot something after all!"

The tent explodes with laughter as the group pictures the looks on the greedy couple's faces. "He forgot something all right, but not what they wanted him to forget!" Ash wheezes as he brushes away a tear of laughter...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 126: Tozoku Steals a Tauros (Misty)

(real tale: The Master Thief)


"Let's see if this tale Brock told Ash and me once passes the Persian test." Misty muses. With that, she begins "There was once a man who had three sons. He had no property to pass on to them, and no means of training them in a trade. So he told them that they had his leave to learn whatever it was they enjoyed most, and go to any place they wanted to go. He even offered to go with them for part of the way."

[So where did they go?] Mai wonders.

"He went with them till they came to a three way fork in the road, and there each of them went their separate ways." Misty replies.

She then interjects "What happened to the two elder brothers is another story altogether--this tale concerns the youngest boy, who we will call Tozoku."

"Interesting name..." Melody muses.

"Now, one night, as Tozoku was going through a great forest, a terrible storm blew up." Misty continues. "The wind blew so hard and rained so hard that he could scarcely keep his eyes open, and before long, he had gotten horribly lost. But he went on, and at last he saw a light in the distance. He found out the light was coming from a large house, and the fire was burning so brightly inside that he could tell that the residents were awake. So he went in, and inside there was an woman who was busy sweeping the floor."

Inspired, Ash decides to fill in Tozoku's dialogue. "Good evening, good lady!"

"Good evening to you, likewise." Misty replies as the woman.

"It is horrible weather to be traveling..." Ash mutters as Tozoku.

"Indeed it is," Misty replies as the woman. The two of them continue like this:

"May I please rest here for the night?"

"It wouldn't be good for you to sleep here...if the people of the house come home and find you, they will kill both you and me."

"What kind of people are they?"

"Nothing but a band of rogues...they kidnapped me when I was little, and I have had to keep house for them ever since."

"I still think I will go to bed, all the same...no matter what happens, I'm not going out in a storm like this."

"Well, then, it will be the worse for yourself,"

Brock applauds the interplay as Misty continues "So Tozoku lay down in a nearby bed, but he dared not go to sleep, in case the bandits tried to kill him while he slept."

[D-did the thieves kill him?] Korra stammers, afraid for Tozoku.

The bandits returned some moments later, and the woman told them that a young fellow who was a stranger had come there, and she had not been able to get him to leave." Misty continues. "The thieves debated what to do with him for a moment, but one suggested that Tozoku could maybe be trained in the way of a thief. Tozoku loved that idea, and asked them what he had to do to become a thief."

"Steal something, of course." Brock smiles.

"Now, not far from the thieves' hideout lived a man who had three Tauros, one of which he was going to sell in town." Misty explains. "The thieves knew this, so they told Tozoku that if he stole the Tauros, without the man knowing, and without hurting him, they would train him as a thief."

Everyone is on the edge of their seats, eager to hear if Tozoku will succeed. "So Tozoku set off early the next morning, taking with him a pretty black shoe with a silver buckle." Misty explains as she shows the group an identical shoe. "He put this in the road, and then hid in the bush. When the man saw the shoe, he thought it beautiful, and he would appease his wife."

"What was so bad about her?" Ash muses.

"This lady was so mean and ill-tempered that she yelled at and beat the poor man constantly." Misty replies. Ash slumps to the ground in fear as Misty goes on "But then he remembered it would make no sense to bring back only one shoe when the other was nowhere in sight, so he left it alone and went on his way."

She continues "Tozoku picked up the shoe and hurried off a little ways down the road, then put the shoe in the road again. When the man came with his Tauros and saw the shoe, he was quite mad at having been so stupid as to leave the mate lying where it was, instead of bringing it with him. He went and looked for the other shoe for a long, long time, but didn't find it anywhere. Finally, he just went back with the one."

She concludes "All of this bought Tozoku enough time to take the Tauros. The bandit king was pleased at his cleverness, and trained Tozoku in the way of the thief, where he had many more adventures."

"Tozoku is a Robin Hood type figure in Kanto lore." Brock explains when the applause dies down...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 127: The Psychic Husband (Ash)

(real tale: "Folktales from Japan", episode 44, story 2)

"In a certain village far from here, there lived a poor couple." Ash begins. "They were so poor, that every day the woman made a meal from Berry leaves."

Misty makes a face at this. "Is it even possible to eat leaves of Berry trees?" Brock is curious.

[It is.] Mai assures him. [We see Bunearies eating them every day.]

"Anyway, one day, the woman went to town." Ash continues. "While she was away, the man-- who was sick and tired of eating leaves every day--got the idea to hide her knife so she couldn't cut leaves. However, the woman returned with a proper meal--which she couldn't cook without a knife."

"Uh oh..." Misty giggles.

"Pika pika?" Pikachu asks.

"The woman turned the house upside down in search of her knife." Ash replies. "Seeing his wife search compelled the man to tell her where the knife was--in the rafters. Sure enough, when the woman looked up there, the knife was there, just where the man said. She went and told everyone in the village that her husband had psychic power."

"Oh boy..." Brock is wary of how the man will react to his new fame.

"The other villagers came to have the man solve their problems and disputes--no problem was too big or too small." Ash continues. "One day, a messenger in the service of the town rich man came, and asked the man where a special hairpin belonging to the rich man's daughter was. He told the messenger that a servant girl took it and hid it behind the dresser. When the servant girl was confronted later that day, she confessed, and sure enough, the hairpin was behind the dresser, just as the man said."

"Wow!" Brock is impressed.

"Pika chu." Pikachu agrees.

"Pini pi?" Happini asks.

"The couple was handsomely rewarded, and the rumors of the psychic man spread all the way to the Pokemon League, where the Pokemon Master was sick, and the healers didn't have a clue know how to cure him." Ash goes on. "The man agreed to travel to the League. While the royal party was resting during the long journey, he overheard two Fennekin talking, and one of them knew why the Pokemon Master was sick."

"Why was the Pokemon Master sick?" Melody is curious.

"When they got to the League, the man told the court when the Fennekin said..." Ash replies. "A pine tree had extended its roots into the river, trapping a Seaking--and the Seaking's anger was what was making the Pokemon Master sick. When the court dug up the tree and freed the Seaking, the Pokemon Master was healed."

He concludes "The man was appointed the Pokemon Master's top advisor, where he served for many years."

"I didn't know he understood Pokemon..." Misty finds the ending clever. Ash just grins and takes a bow...

[EmeraldSky]

Tale 128: How Sorin Defeated Tanooki (Brock)

(real tale: The Slaying of the Tanuki)

"Next, I have a little different Sorin tale for you...one where Sorin plays the hero." Brock explains to thunderous applause.

He waits for the applause to quiet, then begins. "Once, near a big river, and between two high mountains, a man and his wife lived in a cottage a long, long time ago. A dense forest lay all round the cottage, and there was hardly a path or a tree in the whole wood that was not familiar to the man from his childhood. On one of his excursions into the woods he had befriended Sorin, and though he knew as well as anyone that Sorin was quite the trickster..."

More applause goes up at the familiar beginning. "the two of them spent a long time together, talking about anything and everything."

"Now one day a wicked, quarrelsome Zigzagoon-like beast known as Tanooki happened to discover Sorin and the man having one of their long conversations." Brock explains. "He hated the man, and was never tired of doing bad things to him. Time and time again he had crept to the house, found some choice morsel or another meant for Sorin, and had either eaten it or trampled it to pieces so that no one else would get it. Finally, the man lost his patience, and made up his mind that he would have Tanooki's head."

Nervous laughter goes up as Brock goes on. "So for many days the man lay hidden, waiting for Tanooki to come by, and when one morning he marched up the road thinking of nothing but the food he was going to steal, the man threw himself on him and bound him up tight, so that he couldn't move. Then he dragged his enemy joyfully to the house, feeling that maybe he had got the better of the mischievous beast which had done so many bad things to him. When he got to the house, he hung Tanooki head first from a beam, and went out to gather wood for a fire."

After waiting a few beats, Brock continues. "Meanwhile, the woman was standing at the mortar pounding the rice with a pestle that made her arms ache with its weight. Suddenly she heard something whining and weeping in the corner, and, stopping her work, she looked around to see what it was. When she saw Tanooki just hanging there, she felt sorry for him and untied him--which prompted Tanooki to dart away from her, making her fall into a pot of boiling water on accident!"

Laughter goes up at this. "Needless to say, it took her some time to recover from all those burns." Brock notes.

He goes on "Then, Tanooki looked outside, and saw the man coming from the forest carrying a large bundle of wood. Quick as lightning, Tanooki not only put on the woman's clothes, but, as he was a magician, he cast a spell..." Brock pauses to sing Jao wiisha nes chiel com yutuul... for effect. "and assumed her form as well. But Sorin saw right through his disguise, and Tanooki had no choice but to run for the forest."

Giggles go up at this. "About then the man had found his injured wife, cleaned and dressed her wounds, and swore revenge on Tanooki for gravely injuring his wife. Sorin heard the ranting and raving, and after hearing the whole story, offered to help the man in whatever way he could."

"Ooh"s and giggles fill the air at this. "The first thing he did was to search the house for materials to make an ointment, which he sprinkled plentifully with pepper and then put in his pocket. Next he took an axe, bade farewell to the man, and departed to the forest. He made his way to Tanooki's house and knocked at the door." Brock pauses to knock in a 'shave-and-a-haircut' rhythm for effect. "Tanooki, was greatly pleased to see Sorin, for when he noticed the axe, started mulling ways to get hold of it."

"And then?" Melody asks.

"Tanooki offered to accompany Sorin, which was exactly what Sorin wished and expected, for he knew all of Tanooki's cunning and wiles." Brock explains. "As the two of them wandered through the forest, Sorin carelessly raised his hatchet in passing, and cut down some thick branches that were hanging over the path, but after he cut down a huge oak tree, he decided that it was too heavy for him to carry home, and he would just leave it where it was. This delighted the greedy Tanooki, who said that they would be no weight for him, so they collected the large branches, which Sorin bound tightly on his back. Then he trotted happily to the house, with Sorin following with his lighter bundle."

He returns to his rock at the center of the tent, then continues "Meanwhile, Sorin got the idea to set the wood Tanooki carried on fire. Tanooki however, was off in la-la land, oblivious to the smoke and the crackling flames that he heard. It wasn't until he noticed his fur was in flames, and it was almost too late to put it out, did he realize there was any problem."

The audience roars with laughter at this. "Tanooki shrieked with pain, stamping and howling with agony all the while." Brock continues, stomping around the tent himself for effect. "But Sorin comforted him, and told him that he always carried with him an excellent plaster for just such an emergency, which would bring him instant relief. So he took out his ointment, spread it on a leaf of bamboo, and laid it on the wound. No sooner did it touch him did Tanooki leap yelling into the air."

The audience laughs even more as Brock concludes "Sorin just laughed as Tanooki raced into the forest, never to return; and ran to tell his friend the man what a trick he had just played."

The crowd applauds as Brock takes a bow....