The tradesman was much troubled as to what to do with the animal , and it was only towards morning that he managed to get any sleep ; but when he opened his eyes again there was no tanuki , only the old kettle he had left there the night before . As soon as he had tidied his house , Jimmu set off to tell his story to a friend next door . The man listened quietly , and did not appear so surprised as Jimmu expected , for he recollected having heard , in his youth , something about a wonder-working kettle . ` Go and travel with it , and show it off , ' said he , ` and you will become a rich man ; but be careful first to ask the tanuki 's leave , and also to perform some magic ceremonies to prevent him from running away at the sight of the people . ' Jimmu thanked his friend for his counsel , which he followed exactly . The tanuki 's consent was obtained , a booth was built , and a notice was hung up outside it inviting the people to come and witness the most wonderful transformation that ever was seen . They came in crowds , and the kettle was passed from hand to hand , and they were allowed to examine it all over , and even to look inside . Then Jimmu took it back , and setting it on the platform , commanded it to become a tanuki . In an instant the handle began to change into a head , and the spout into a tail , while the four paws appeared at the sides . ` Dance , ' said Jimmu , and the tanuki did his steps , and moved first on one side and then on the other , till the people could not stand still any longer , and began to dance too . Gracefully he led the fan dance , and glided without a pause into the shadow dance and the umbrella dance , and it seemed as if he might go on dancing for ever . And so very likely he would , if Jimmu had not declared he had danced enough , and that the booth must now be closed . Day after day the booth was so full it was hardly possible to enter it , and what the neighbour foretold had come to pass , and Jimmu was a rich man . Yet he did not feel happy . He was an honest man , and he thought that he owed some of his wealth to the man from whom he had bought the kettle . So , one morning , he put a hundred gold pieces into it , and hanging the kettle once more on his arm , he returned to the seller of it . ' I have no right to keep it any longer , ' he added when he had ended his tale , ` so I have brought it back to you , and inside you will find a hundred gold pieces as the price of its hire . ' The man thanked Jimmu , and said that few people would have been as honest as he . And the kettle brought them both luck , and everything went well with them till they died , which they did when they were very old , respected by everyone . The Shifty Lad In the land of Erin there dwelt long ago a widow who had an only son .
He was a clever boy , so she saved up enough money to send him to school , and , as soon as he was old enough , to apprentice him to any trade XXXXX he would choose .
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