Life in the countryside can be peaceful, but even a hardworking family may face trouble when a destructive neighbour repeatedly threatens its livelihood. In this Japanese fairy tale, an old farmer struggles to protect his crops from a troublesome badger that regularly invades his fields. After finally catching the animal, he leaves it in his wife’s care while he returns to work. Unfortunately, her kindness gives the cunning creature an opportunity to escape, with devastating consequences for the household. When a compassionate rabbit discovers the farmer’s grief, he promises to help him obtain justice.
The Badger Destroys the Farmer’s Crops
Long ago, an old farmer and his wife lived in a mountain home far away from any town. They worked hard to maintain their household and cultivate the land around them. Their livelihood depended largely on the vegetables and rice they grew, and the farmer devoted much of his time to caring for the fields.
However, their peaceful life was disturbed by a troublesome neighbour. A badger lived nearby and regularly came out at night to raid the farmer’s land. It trampled the vegetables, damaged the rice and spoiled the crops that the old couple had worked so hard to cultivate.
At first, the farmer tried to tolerate the animal’s mischief. But the badger became increasingly destructive. Night after night, it returned to the fields, leaving fresh damage behind. The farmer realised that unless he stopped the creature, much of his labour would continue to go to waste.
He decided to catch it.
For several days and nights, he waited with a large club, hoping to surprise the badger when it came to feed. He watched the fields and remained alert, but the animal was too cunning to fall into his hands.
The farmer then changed his approach. Instead of relying on direct confrontation, he dug traps in places where the badger was likely to pass.
His patience eventually rewarded him. One day, while inspecting the land, he discovered that the badger had fallen into one of the holes. The farmer was delighted. At last, he had caught the animal responsible for destroying his crops.
He secured the badger with rope and carried it home.
The Farmer Leaves the Badger with His Wife
When the farmer reached his house, he called his wife and showed her the captured animal.
He explained that he had finally caught the troublesome badger. He instructed her to watch it carefully while he returned to work in the fields. He also told her not to allow it to escape because he intended to make soup from it that evening.
After giving these instructions, he hung the badger upside down from the rafters of the storehouse. He tied its legs securely so that it could not free itself.
Satisfied that the animal could no longer cause trouble, the farmer returned to his work.
The badger was terrified. It knew that the farmer intended to kill it and make soup from its body. Hanging upside down, with its legs tightly bound, it struggled to think of a way to escape.
Nearby, the farmer’s elderly wife was pounding barley at the entrance to the storehouse. She worked under the warm sunlight, looking tired from the heavy task. Her face was covered with wrinkles, and perspiration ran down her skin as she continued working.
The badger noticed her exhaustion and decided to take advantage of her kind nature.
The Badger Tricks the Old Woman
The cunning animal addressed the woman politely. It expressed sympathy for her, saying that she must be tired from doing such difficult work at her age.
It offered to take over the pounding so that she could rest.
The old woman appreciated the offer but refused. She explained that she could not untie the badger because it might escape. Her husband would be furious if he returned and discovered that the animal had disappeared.
The badger continued pleading.
It promised that it would not run away. It even suggested that the woman could tie it up again after it had finished helping her, before her husband returned.
The old woman was simple-hearted and compassionate. She looked at the animal hanging painfully from the rafters and felt sorry for it. The ropes were cutting into its legs, and it appeared to be suffering greatly.
Believing its promise, she decided to release it.
She untied the rope and lowered the badger to the ground. Then she handed it the wooden pestle and asked it to continue pounding the barley while she rested.
The badger accepted the pestle, but it had never intended to help her.
As soon as the woman turned away, it attacked her with the heavy wooden implement. It knocked her down, killed her and cut up her body. It then used her flesh to prepare the soup that the farmer had expected to make from the badger.
Having committed this terrible crime, the animal waited for the farmer’s return.
The Farmer Discovers the Horrible Truth
Meanwhile, the old farmer continued working in his fields. He was pleased with himself because he believed that the badger could no longer destroy his crops.
As evening approached, he stopped working and began his journey home. He was tired after a long day, but the thought of the hot badger soup awaiting him made him look forward to his supper.
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He had no idea that anything terrible had happened at home. He did not suspect that the badger had escaped or that his wife was in danger.
The badger had meanwhile assumed the old woman’s appearance. When it saw the farmer approaching, it came out to greet him on the veranda.
It welcomed him and announced that the badger soup was ready.
The farmer believed that he was speaking to his wife. He removed his straw sandals, entered the house and sat down before his small dinner tray.
He asked for the soup, expecting to enjoy the meal after his day’s labour.
But the creature suddenly changed back into its natural form.
Laughing at the farmer, it called him a wife-eating old man and told him to look for the bones in the kitchen.
The farmer was horrified. The badger had killed his wife, cooked her and deceived him into believing that she had prepared the meal.
The animal laughed loudly and ran away to its den in the hills.
For a moment, the farmer could hardly understand what he had witnessed. Then the terrible truth became clear. He fainted from shock.
When he regained consciousness, he burst into tears. He wept bitterly and rocked himself in despair. He could not accept that his faithful wife had been murdered while he worked peacefully in the fields.
The thought that he had nearly eaten the soup made from her body filled him with even greater horror.
His home, which had once been a place of companionship and hard work, had become a scene of unbearable grief.
The Rabbit Promises to Avenge the Farmer’s Wife
Not far away, another animal lived on the same mountain. It was a kind and good-natured old rabbit.
The rabbit heard the farmer’s cries and immediately went to find out what had happened. When it arrived, it saw the old man overwhelmed by sorrow.
The farmer explained everything. He described how he had caught the badger, how his wife had released it out of kindness, and how the animal had repaid her compassion with murder.
The rabbit was furious.
It could not tolerate the badger’s cruelty and deceit. After listening to the farmer’s account, it promised to avenge the woman’s death.
The farmer felt comforted by the rabbit’s concern. Although his grief remained, he thanked his neighbour for coming to help him during such a painful time.
Once the farmer had become calmer, the rabbit returned home to prepare a plan.
The Rabbit Sets the Badger’s Back on Fire
The following day, the weather was fine. The rabbit went out to search for the badger but could not find it in the woods, fields or on the hillside.
Knowing that the animal might be hiding, the rabbit went to its den.
There it found the badger staying out of sight because it feared the farmer’s anger.
The rabbit greeted it cheerfully and asked why it was hiding on such a beautiful day. It suggested that they should go into the hills together to cut grass.
The badger believed that the rabbit was its friend. It welcomed the invitation, especially because it wanted to get away from the farmer’s neighbourhood.
The two animals travelled far from their homes until they reached hills where the grass grew thick and tall. They began cutting the grass and gathered as much as they could carry.
When they had finished, each tied the grass into a bundle and placed it on the back. The rabbit arranged for the badger to walk ahead while it followed behind.
As they travelled, the rabbit secretly took out a flint and steel. It struck them together over the badger’s bundle of dry grass and set it alight.
The badger heard the noise and asked what was making the strange crackling sound.
The rabbit calmly replied that the mountain was called Crackling Mountain.
The fire continued spreading through the dry grass. Soon, the badger heard the crackling more clearly and asked what was happening.
The rabbit told it that they had reached Burning Mountain.
By then, the flames had consumed much of the grass, and the badger’s back had been badly burned. It finally understood what had happened when it smelled the smoke.
Screaming with pain, it rushed back to its den.
The rabbit followed and found it lying on its bed, groaning from its injuries.
The Rabbit Applies a Painful Medicine
When the rabbit saw the suffering badger, it pretended to be concerned.
It expressed surprise at the animal’s misfortune and offered to bring medicine that would heal its burns.
The badger gratefully accepted the offer. It believed that the rabbit was genuinely trying to help.
However, the rabbit had no intention of relieving its pain. It wanted the animal to suffer for the murder of the farmer’s wife.
After returning home, the rabbit prepared an ointment using sauce and red pepper.
It carried the mixture to the badger. Before applying it, the rabbit warned that the medicine might cause considerable pain. It explained that the badger would have to endure the discomfort because the treatment was supposed to be effective against burns and scalds.
The badger trusted the rabbit and begged it to apply the medicine immediately.
The rabbit spread the mixture over the injured back.
The pain was unbearable. The badger rolled from side to side and howled loudly. The red pepper made its already painful injuries much worse.
The rabbit watched, believing that the farmer’s wife was finally being avenged.
The badger remained in bed for about a month. Eventually, despite the painful treatment, its burns healed and it recovered.
When the rabbit discovered that the animal was getting better, it realised that another plan was necessary.
The Rabbit Builds Two Boats
The rabbit continued pretending to be the badger’s friend. One day, it visited the animal and congratulated it on recovering from its injuries.
During their conversation, the rabbit mentioned that it enjoyed going fishing. It described how pleasant the activity could be when the weather was fine and the sea was calm.
The badger listened with interest. It had forgotten much of its earlier suffering and began imagining how enjoyable fishing might be.
It asked the rabbit to take it along on the next fishing trip.
The rabbit readily agreed.
However, it had already begun preparing another plan. When it returned home, it constructed two small boats. One was made of wood, while the other was made of clay.
The rabbit intended to use the difference between the materials to bring about the badger’s downfall.
After completing both boats, it kept the wooden one for itself and reserved the clay boat for the badger.
The Clay Boat Begins to Sink
When the arranged day arrived, the rabbit and the badger went to the water.
The rabbit gave the badger the clay boat, while it climbed into the wooden one. The badger knew little about boats and did not realise that the two vessels were very different.
It was pleased with the gift and believed that the rabbit had been generous.
They pushed away from the shore and began rowing.
After travelling some distance, the rabbit suggested that they should race to see which boat could move faster.
The badger accepted the challenge. Both animals began rowing as quickly as they could.
For a while, the race continued without difficulty. But gradually, the water began softening the badger’s clay boat.
The vessel started breaking apart.
The badger became frightened as water entered the boat. It called desperately to the rabbit, asking for help.
The rabbit finally revealed the truth. It explained that it had planned the entire journey to avenge the old woman’s murder.
It reminded the badger of its evil actions and declared that the animal was now receiving the punishment it deserved.
The rabbit refused to rescue it.
Instead, it raised its oar and struck the badger with all its strength. The clay boat continued sinking, and the badger disappeared beneath the water.
The Rabbit Keeps Its Promise
After the badger had drowned, the rabbit turned its wooden boat towards the shore.
It reached the beach, pulled the boat out of the water and hurried back to the farmer’s home.
There, it told the old man everything. It explained how it had tricked the badger into going fishing, given it the clay boat and finally brought about its death.
The farmer listened with tears in his eyes.
Until then, he had been unable to sleep peacefully or enjoy his daily activities because he continued thinking about his wife’s murder. The knowledge that the badger had finally been punished brought him comfort.
He thanked the rabbit for keeping its promise and helping him obtain revenge.
The farmer then invited the rabbit to remain in his home. He wanted to share his life with the animal that had stood by him during his grief.
The rabbit accepted, and the two became good friends. They lived together happily for the rest of their days.
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Moral Lesson
The story teaches that deceit and cruelty can bring serious consequences. The badger repeatedly used deception to harm others, first by destroying the farmer’s crops and later by taking advantage of the old woman’s kindness. Its actions eventually led to its own downfall.
The tale also highlights loyalty and compassion. The rabbit did not ignore its neighbour’s suffering. It offered comfort, made a promise and worked towards fulfilling it.
At the same time, the story presents revenge as the means by which justice is achieved. Readers can consider the difference between seeking justice and allowing anger to determine one’s actions.
Knowledge Check
1. Why did the farmer want to catch the badger?
The badger repeatedly entered his fields at night and destroyed his vegetables and rice crops.
2. Why did the farmer’s wife release the badger?
She felt sorry for the animal and believed its promise that it would not escape.
3. How did the badger deceive the farmer when he returned home?
It assumed the old woman’s appearance, welcomed him and pretended to have prepared the badger soup.
4. How did the rabbit begin its plan against the badger?
It invited the badger to cut grass in the hills and secretly set fire to the bundle on its back.
5. What did the rabbit use to prepare the badger’s painful medicine?
It mixed sauce and red pepper to make an ointment, which it applied to the badger’s burns.
6. How did the rabbit finally defeat the badger?
It gave the badger a boat made of clay while keeping a wooden boat for itself. The clay vessel softened in the water and sank, and the badger drowned.
Source
Adapted from “The Farmer and the Badger” in Japanese Fairy Tales, compiled and rendered into English by Yei Theodora Ozaki. The collection was first published in 1908 by A. L. Burt Company, New York.
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