By: thesongist

FolkTale Origins: Japan

The Japanese folktale, The Lucky Cauldron, has a more obscure origin story; however, it is believed to have evolved from an older tale of a shape-shifting tanuki (raccoon) priest who owned a magic teakettle. In this later version, the priest is not a tanuki (raccoon) but rather a human, and the magic teakettle is the tanuki (raccoon) himself! Additionally, the blessings imparted from the teakettle from the older version are translated to fame and fortune through show business in the newer version by Masao Kusuyama.

The story starts with a priest who decided today was the day to put his newly-bought teakettle to good use. First, he went to gather some water to pour into the teakettle. Although relatively small, the teakettle consumed much more water than expected. Second, the priest carried the teakettle over to be hung above a lit flame, when suddenly...

"Ouch!" the teakettle screeched.

From the teakettle popped out a tanuki's hairy head, arms, legs, and tail. The priest cried out for help, certain that this teakettle was afflicted with some evil curse. Hearing the priest's screams, several monks wearing hachimaki (a traditional headband used for war) stormed into the room and prepared for battle. The teakettle, however, had transformed back into its inanimate form.

Even when the monks approached the teakettle and knocked it on its side several times, the teakettle neither budged nor made noise. Luckily, a pawnbroker was passing by, so the priest decided to sell the cursed teakettle to him. After the pawnbroker appraised the teakettle, he bought it immediately, as it was a nice, fine-looking ware.

He placed the teakettle in his bag and went along his way.

Nighttime came, so the pawnbroker took his remaining wares home with him. Before getting into bed, he thought about how happy he was to find such a rare item that he could sell for a good price. Treasuring the teakettle, he gently placed it next to his pillow and fell asleep.

Lo and behold, in the middle of the night, the teakettle piped up saying, "Hello, Mr. Pawnbroker!"

The pawnbroker awoke to the unusual sound and was shocked to find a four-legged beast with a teakettle's pot as its base sitting next to him. He cried out in a similar fashion to the priest, saying the teakettle was a cursed object. The shape-shifting tanuki, however, refused to be sold again.

The tanuki first calmed down the wailing pawnbroker and then explained his backstory, his circumstances, and his abilities: "I am Bunbuku Chagama. I am a shape-shifting tanuki who transformed into a teakettle after escaping the hands of five to six men chasing me. After I transformed into a teakettle, however, they sold me off to a pawnbroker as expensive kitchenware. I sat atop a display at the front of his store and starved for days. When the priest bought me and gave me some water, I felt reinvigorated, but then he tried to burn my behind! Thank you for saving me and taking me into your home! I'll surely repay you for your troubles."

Emotionally moved by the tanuki's tale, the pawnbroker agreed to let him stay and inquired about the repayment. The tanuki thought up a great idea: He would perform acrobatic tricks in front of an audience to make a lot of money for the pawnbroker. The pawnbroker was so convinced of the tanuki's plan that he closed up his business, bought a theater downtown, and placed a sign in front with a painting of the tightrope-walking tanuki!

Due to the pawnbroker's catchy jingle that he sang as well as the fascinating sign of the tightrope-walking tanuki, there were many audience members on opening night. Even though the pawnbroker had to perform all the administrative roles himself, the tanuki fulfilled his promise. As soon as the show began, the four-legged teakettle waddled out on stage much to the wide-eyed, open-jawed spectators.

Holding an umbrella in between his paws, the tanuki walked the tightrope, balancing his body on the thin surface and dancing to the tune. After the show ended, the audience roared with applause. And so goes the story of the pawnbroker and his lucky "cauldron."