The man did not need twice telling . He gave the poor fox a blow on the head , which put an end to her , and the wicked tanuki went smiling to the nearest shop . In former times he had been very fond of his little son ; but since he had betrayed his wife he seemed to have changed all in a moment , for he would not give him as much as a bite , and the poor little fellow would have starved had he not found some nuts and berries to eat , and he waited on , always hoping that his mother would come back . At length some notion of the truth began to dawn on him ; but he was careful to let the old tanuki see nothing , though in his own mind he turned over plans from morning till night , wondering how best he might avenge his mother . One morning , as the little tanuki was sitting with his father , he remembered , with a start , that his mother had taught him all she knew of magic , and that he could work spells as well as his father , or perhaps better . ' I am as good a wizard as you , ' he said suddenly , and a cold chill ran through the tanuki as he heard him , though he laughed , and pretended to think it a joke . But the little tanaki stuck to his point , and at last the father proposed they should have a wager . ` Change yourself into any shape you like , ' said he , ` and I will undertake to know you . I will go and wait on the bridge which leads over the river to the village , and you shall transform yourself into anything you please , but I will know you through any disguise . ' The little tanuki agreed , and went down the road which his father had pointed out . But instead of transforming himself into a different shape , he just hid himself in a corner of the bridge , where he could see without being seen . He had not been there long when his father arrived and took up his place near the middle of the bridge , and soon after the king came by , followed by a troop of guards and all his court . ` Ah ! he thinks that now he has changed himself into a king I shall not know him , ' thought the old tanuki , and as the king passed in his splendid carriage , borne by his servants , he jumped upon it crying : ' I have won my wager ; you can not deceive me . ' But in reality it was he who had deceived himself . The soldiers , conceiving that their king was being attacked , seized the tanuki by the legs and flung him over into the river , and the water closed over him . And the little tanoki saw it all , and rejoiced that his mother 's death had been avenged . Then he went back to the forest , and if he has not found it too lonely , he is probably living there still . -LSB- From Japanische Mahrchen . -RSB- The Crab And The Monkey There was once a crab who lived in a hole on the shady side of a mountain .
She was a very good housewife , and so careful and industrious XXXXX there was no creature in the whole country whose hole was so neat and clean as hers , and she took great pride in it .
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