week 6: Story telling - Revenge for My Mother

My mother and I have always been close. As a young tanuki she had taught me everything it takes to be a man – the values, the morals, and the difference between good and evil. So upon being inflicted with what I am about to reveal to you next. I could no longer see the world in the eyes she had taught me to see it in. My mother was a fox, I took after my father as he too was a tanuki. Although she was different in appearance we shared the same kind of heart. The same could not be said for my father and I.

Our habitat was being destroyed by the human hunters. All that we knew – places, and both close and far friends of our kind were all killed. Our lifestyle now become survival of the fittest. In which case my family were the fittest. We were the only living three left in the entire forest.

Living was becoming harder and as each day went on, our source of food was becoming scarcer. Thankfully we were given the gift of magic. Allowing us to change our form. I in particular inherited this gift from my mother. As each day, she would spend time with me teaching me new tricks. She always warned me “Son, you will need this one day. If ever there comes a time in which I nor you father will be here to protect and provide for you. You will need to have a few tricks up your sleeve”

I never quite understood the reason for her warning as we seemed to be managing fine. My parents always changed their form as humans so that they may go out into the market place and falsely trade with the human to get some food. Until one day, my father sold my mother out revealing the plan for her to escape after trading her for money. Causing her to be killed by the guy who bought her from my father.

From this day I knew my father could not be trusted. Truth of the matter is, if ever he felt that I was a becoming a burden also, he would not hesitate in getting rid of me too. I now understood why all those times my mother warned me and taught me the magic I knew. I know her intentions was for me to never use it against my father but rather our enemies. But little did she know my father was our enemy in disguise. So I knew I had to play him in his game.

One day we set out, as my parents did all those years ago. The plan was for me to change forms so we could get some food. Only this time I didn't. I kept my form but remained hidden but in view of all that was to come. Until, I saw the king with his soldiers trotting down the mountain. These were the same men that slayed all the inhabitants of the place we called home. I also saw my father walking up towards them. I wasn't quite sure as to why he was doing this. Putting himself in blatant view of the enemies. Until he yelled in such arrogance “You think you can manipulate me, I know you have disguised yourself into being a king, you shall fool me not!”. He reached out into his sack pulling out a dagger which was meant for me. Then it dawned on me……It was a set up. My father actually wanted rid of me as he did my mother but failed in his attempts. The soldier’s grabbed hold of his paws tied them with a chainsaw and threw him off the edge of the mountain into the freezing cold river. That was the last I knew of him. I was to remain alone. No mother or father. I was the last of my kind. What was my fate to be now?



(Tanuki photo by Laszlo)

Bibliography:The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1903).
 Link: Japanese fairy tale (Lang)

Authors Note: This unit was very interesting. As I am not familiar with Japanese mythology. It was actually different to what I had anticipated it to be. This story was about a fox and a tunika who were married and had a son together. Their home was destroyed and there was no food. They were able to change forms using magic. On their second trip to get food the father exposed the mother as not being dead to the buyer and that she would attempt to escape, as she was one extra mouth to feed. Leading to her death. I decided to tell the story in the eyes of the son wanting to avenge his mother.