[Hiro rolls his eyes and starts reciting something from memory:]
A long, long time ago, there was a farmer. One day, he found a tanuki in his fields - a tanuki is like a racoon, but it can shapeshift - making mischief. Angered, the farmer captured the tanuki and tied it to a tree to deal with later. He returned to working in the fields, but the tanuki decided that a human could not make a fool of him. Pretending to cry, the tanuki called out to the farmer's wife.
"Miss, oh miss! Your cruel husband has tied me to this tree. Please, free me - if you do, I will help you make dinner."
The farmer's wife was a soft-hearted person, so she untied the tanuki but you should never trust a tanuki that a human has wronged. The tanuki jumped at the famer's wife, ripping out her throat and killing her.
"I'll teach that farmer a lesson," the tanuki said.
Using his powers, the tanuki took the form of the farmer's wife and carried her dead body back into the house. Carefully, the tanuki chopped her up into tiny pieces and turned her into a stew. Soon, the farmer came home.
"Ah, darling," the farmer said, "whatever you're cooking smells delightful."
"I made it especially for you," the tanuki said. It served the farmer a bowl of stew. "Eat up, dear."
They ate, the farmer repeatedly telling the tanuki how good the stew was, and the tanuki smiling. When they were finished, the tanuki shifted back into his animal form and watched as the farmer realized what happened.
"I'm so glad you liked the stew," the tanuki said, "because it was made with your wife."
Cackling, the tanuki ran off, leaving the farmer shocked.
cw: cannibalism
[Hiro rolls his eyes and starts reciting something from memory:]
A long, long time ago, there was a farmer. One day, he found a tanuki in his fields - a tanuki is like a racoon, but it can shapeshift - making mischief. Angered, the farmer captured the tanuki and tied it to a tree to deal with later. He returned to working in the fields, but the tanuki decided that a human could not make a fool of him. Pretending to cry, the tanuki called out to the farmer's wife.
"Miss, oh miss! Your cruel husband has tied me to this tree. Please, free me - if you do, I will help you make dinner."
The farmer's wife was a soft-hearted person, so she untied the tanuki but you should never trust a tanuki that a human has wronged. The tanuki jumped at the famer's wife, ripping out her throat and killing her.
"I'll teach that farmer a lesson," the tanuki said.
Using his powers, the tanuki took the form of the farmer's wife and carried her dead body back into the house. Carefully, the tanuki chopped her up into tiny pieces and turned her into a stew. Soon, the farmer came home.
"Ah, darling," the farmer said, "whatever you're cooking smells delightful."
"I made it especially for you," the tanuki said. It served the farmer a bowl of stew. "Eat up, dear."
They ate, the farmer repeatedly telling the tanuki how good the stew was, and the tanuki smiling. When they were finished, the tanuki shifted back into his animal form and watched as the farmer realized what happened.
"I'm so glad you liked the stew," the tanuki said, "because it was made with your wife."
Cackling, the tanuki ran off, leaving the farmer shocked.