` We are not so foolish as to risk our lives , ' they said to each other proudly . But at length there came a day when , in spite of their prudence , they seemed likely to die of starvation , for no more food was to be had . Something had to be done , but they did not know what . Suddenly a bright thought struck the tanuki . ' I have got a plan , ' he cried joyfully to his wife . ' I will pretend to be dead , and you must change yourself into a man , and take me to the village for sale . It will be easy to find a buyer , tanukis ' skins are always wanted ; then buy some food with the money and come home again . I will manage to escape somehow , so do not worry about me . ' The fox laughed with delight , and rubbed her paws together with satisfaction . ` Well , next time I will go , ' she said , ` and you can sell me . ' And then she changed herself into a man , and picking up the stiff body of the tanuki , set off towards the village . She found him rather heavy , but it would never have done to let him walk through the wood and risk his being seen by somebody . As the tanaki had foretold , buyers were many , and the fox handed him over to the person who offered the largest price , and hurried to get some food with the money . The buyer took the tanuki back to his house , and throwing him into a corner went out . Directly the tanaki found he was alone , he crept cautiously through a chink of the window , thinking , as he did so , how lucky it was that he was not a fox , and was able to climb . Once outside , he hid himself in a ditch till it grew dusk , and then galloped away into the forest . While the food lasted they were all three as happy as kings ; but there soon arrived a day when the larder was as empty as ever . ` It is my turn now to pretend to be dead , ' cried the fox . So the tanuki changed himself into a peasant , and started for the village , with his wife 's body hanging over his shoulder . A buyer was not long in coming forward , and while they were making the bargain a wicked thought darted into the tanuki 's head , that if he got rid of the fox there would be more food for him and his son .
So as he put the money XXXXX his pocket he whispered softly to the buyer that the fox was not really dead , and that if he did not take care she might run away from him .
As So While by for in into that till to