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 peasant from his boyhood . In one of his wanderings he had made friends with a hare , and many an hour the two passed together , when the man was resting by the roadside , eating his dinner . Now this strange friendship was observed by the Tanuki , a wicked , quarrelsome beast , who hated the peasant , and was never tired of doing him an ill turn . Again and again he had crept to the hut , and finding some choice morsel put away for the little hare , had either eaten it if he thought it nice , or trampled it to pieces so that no one else should get it , and at last the peasant lost patience , and made up his mind he would have the Tanuki 's blood . So for many days the man lay hidden , waiting for the Tanuki to come by , and when one morning he marched up the road thinking of nothing but the dinner he was going to steal , the peasant threw himself upon him and bound his four legs tightly , so that he could not move . Then he dragged his enemy joyfully to the house , feeling that at length he had got the better of the mischievous beast which had done him so many ill turns . ` He shall pay for them with his skin , ' he said to his wife . ` We will first kill him , and then cook him . ' So saying , he hanged the Tanuki , head downwards , to a beam , and went out to gather wood for a fire . Meanwhile the old woman was standing at the mortar pounding the rise that was to serve them for the week 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 round to see what it was . That was all that the rascal wanted , and he put on directly his most humble air , and begged the woman in his softest voice to loosen his bonds , which her hurting him sorely . She was filled with pity for him , but did not dare to set him free , as she knew that her husband would be very angry . The Tanuki , however , did not despair , and seeing that her heart was softened , began his prayers anew . ` He only asked to have his bonds taken from him , ' he said . ` He would give his word not to attempt to escape , and if he was once set free he could soon pound her rice for her . ' ` Then you can have a little rest , ' he went on , ` for rice pounding is very tiring work , and not at all fit for weak women . ' These last words melted the good woman completely , and she unfastened the bonds that held him . Poor foolish creature ! In one moment the Tanuki had seized her , stripped off all her clothes , and popped her in the mortar .
In a few minutes more she was pounded as fine as the rice ; and not content XXXXX that , the Tanuki placed a pot on the hearth and made ready to cook the peasant a dinner from the flesh of his own wife !
In at by for from if of that to with