Quick as lightning the Tanuki not only put on the woman 's clothes , but , as he was a magician , assumed her form as well . Then he took the wood , kindled the fire , and very soon set a large dinner before the old man , who was very hungry , and had forgotten for the moment all about his enemy . But when the Tanuki saw that he had eaten his fill and would be thinking about his prisoner , he hastily shook off the clothes behind a door and took his own shape . Then he said to the peasant , ` You are a nice sort of person to seize animals and to talk of killing them ! You are caught in your own net . It is your own wife that you have eaten , and if you want to find her bones you have only to look under the floor . ' With these words he turned and made for the forest . The old peasant grew cold with horror as he listened , and seemed frozen to the place where he stood . When he had recovered himself a little , he collected the bones of his dead wife , buried them in the garden , and swore over the grave to be avenged on the Tanuki . After everything was done he sat himself down in his lonely cottage and wept bitterly , and the bitterest thought of all was that he would never be able to forget that he had eaten his own wife . While he was thus weeping and wailing his friend the hare passed by , and , hearing the noise , pricked up his ears and soon recognised the old man 's voice . He wondered what had happened , and put his head in at the door and asked if anything was the matter . With tears and groans the peasant told him the whole dreadful story , and the hare , filled with anger and compassion , comforted him as best he could , and promised to help him in his revenge . ` The false knave shall not go unpunished , ' said he . So 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 a hatchet , bade farewell to the old man , and departed to the forest . He bent his steps to the dwelling of the Tanuki and knocked at the door . The Tanuki , who had no cause to suspect the hare , was greatly pleased to see him , for he noticed the hatchet at once , and began to lay plots how to get hold of it . To do this he thought he had better offer to accompany the hare , which was exactly what the hare wished and expected , for he knew all the Tanuki 's cunning , and understood his little ways . So he accepted the rascal 's company with joy , and made himself very pleasant as they strolled along .
When they were wandering in this manner through the forest the hare carelessly raised his hatchet in passing , and cut down some thick boughs that were hanging over the path , but at length , after cutting down a good big tree , which cost him many hard blows , he declared that it was too heavy for him XXXXX carry home , and he must just leave it where it was .
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