The Badger's Money
by Unknown · from Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know
Adapted Version
Once there was a kind priest. He lived in a small house. He lived alone. He prayed every day. His neighbors were kind. They gave him food. They helped him.
One night was very cold. The Kind Priest heard a voice. A Grateful Badger stood outside. "Please help me," said the badger. The Kind Priest was not afraid. "Come in," he said. "Warm yourself here."
The Grateful Badger came every night. It brought wood. It helped the priest. The priest was happy. They became good friends. They spent winter nights together. This happened for many years.
Ten years passed. The Grateful Badger spoke. "You are very kind," it said. "I want to help you. What do you need?"
The Kind Priest smiled. "I need nothing," he said. Then he thought. "I want three gold coins. I want to give them for prayers. But no one must steal them."
The Grateful Badger looked sad. It went away. It did not come back. The Kind Priest was sad. He missed his friend. He prayed for the badger. Three years passed.
One night, he heard a voice. "Your reverence!" it called. It was the Grateful Badger. The Kind Priest ran fast. He opened the door. He was very happy.
The Grateful Badger came inside. It had three gold coins. "I did not steal," it said. "I found sand. I worked very hard. I made these coins. They are for your prayers." The coins were new. They were shiny.
The Kind Priest took the gold. He held it high. "You worked so hard," he said. "You are a good friend. Thank you very much." He felt happy.
"I must tell this story," said the priest. "People will ask. But I will say you are gone. You can come here. You will be safe. Do not worry, friend."
The Grateful Badger nodded its head. It stayed with the priest. They were good friends. It came every winter night. They were happy together. This was for a long time.
Original Story
The Badger's Money
nce upon a time, in a hut at a place called Namékata, in Hitache, there lived an old priest, famous neither for learning nor wisdom, but bent only on passing his days in prayer and meditation. He had not even a child to wait upon him, but prepared his food with his own hands. Night and morning he recited the prayer, "Namu Amida Butsu," intent upon that alone. Although the fame of his virtue did not reach far, yet his neighbours respected and revered him, and often brought him food and raiment; and when his roof or his walls fell out of repair, they would mend them for him; so for the things of this world he took no thought.
One very cold night, when he little thought any one was outside, he heard a voice calling, "Your reverence! your reverence!" So he rose and went out to see who it was, and there he beheld an old badger standing. Any ordinary man would have been greatly alarmed at the apparition; but the priest, being such as he has been described above, showed no sign of fear, but asked the creature his business. Upon this the badger respectfully bent its knees, and said:
"Hitherto, sir, my lair has been in the mountains, and of snow or frost I have taken no heed; but now I am growing old, and this severe cold is more that I can bear. I pray you to let me enter and warm myself at the fire of your cottage, that I may live through this bitter night."
When the priest heard what a helpless state the beast was reduced to, he was filled with pity, and said:
"That's a very slight matter; make haste and come in and warm yourself."
The badger, delighted with so good a reception, went into the hut, and squatting down by the fire began to warm itself; and the priest, with renewed fervour, recited his prayers and struck his bell before the image of Buddha, looking straight before him. After two hours the badger took its leave, with profuse expressions of thanks, and went out; and from that time forth it came every night to the hut. As the badger would collect and bring with it dried branches and dead leaves from the hills for firewood, the priest at last became very friendly with it, and got used to its company; so that if ever, as the night wore on, the badger did not arrive, he used to miss it, and wonder why it did not come. When the winter was over, and the spring-time came at the end of the second month, the badger gave up its visits, and was no more seen; but, on the return of the winter, the beast resumed its old habit of coming to the hut. When this practice had gone on for ten years, one day the badger said to the priest, "Through your reverence's kindness for all these years, I have been able to pass the winter nights in comfort. Your favours are such that, during all my life, and even after my death, I must remember them. What can I do to requite them? If there is anything that you wish for, pray tell me."
The priest, smiling at this speech, answered, "Being such as I am, I have no desire and no wishes. Glad as I am to hear your kind intentions, there is nothing that I can ask you to do for me. You need feel no anxiety on my account. As long as I live, when the winter comes, you shall be welcome here." The badger, on hearing this, could not conceal its admiration at the depth of the old man's benevolence; but having so much to be grateful for, it felt hurt at not being able to requite it. As this subject was often renewed between them, the priest at last, touched by the goodness of the badger's heart, said, "Since I have shaven my head, renounced the world, and forsaken the pleasures of this life, I have no desire to gratify, yet I own I should like to possess three riyos in gold. Food and raiment I receive by the favour of the villagers, so I take no heed for those things. Were I to die to-morrow, and attain my wish of being born again into the next world, the same kind folk have promised to meet and bury my body. Thus, although I have no other reason to wish for money, still if I had three riyos I would offer them up at some holy shrine, that masses and prayers might be said for me, whereby I might enter into salvation. Yet I would not get this money by violent or unlawful means; I only think of what might be if I had it. So you see, since you have expressed such kind feelings toward me, I have told you what is on my mind." When the priest had done speaking, the badger leaned its head on one side with a puzzled and anxious look, so much so that the old man was sorry he had expressed a wish which seemed to give the beast trouble, and tried to retract what he had said. "Posthumous honours, after all, are the wish of ordinary men, I, who am a priest, ought not to entertain such thoughts, or to want money; so pray pay no attention to what I have said;" and the badger, feigning assent to what the priest had impressed upon it, returned to the hills as usual.
From that time forth the badger came no more to the hut. The priest thought this very strange, but imagined either that the badger stayed away because it did not like to come without the money, or that it had been killed in an attempt to steal it; and he blamed himself for having added to his sins for no purpose, repenting when it was too late: persuaded, however, that the badger must have been killed, he passed his time in putting up prayers upon prayers for it.
After three years had gone by, one night the old man heard a voice near his door calling out, "Your reverence! your reverence!"
As the voice was like that of the badger, he jumped up as soon as he heard it, and ran out to open the door; and there, sure enough, was the badger. The priest, in great delight, cried out, "And so you are safe and sound, after all! Why have you been so long without coming here? I have been expecting you anxiously this long while."
So the badger came into the hut, and said, "If the money which you required had been for unlawful purposes, I could easily have procured as much as ever you might have wanted; but when I heard that it was to be offered to a temple for masses for your soul, I thought that, if I were to steal the hidden treasure of some other man, you could not apply to a sacred purpose money which had been obtained at the expense of his sorrow. So I went to the island of Sado, and gathering the sand and earth which had been cast away as worthless by the miners, fused it afresh in the fire; and at this work I spent months and days." As the badger finished speaking, the priest looked at the money which it had produced, and sure enough he saw that it was bright and new and clean; so he took the money, and received it respectfully, raising it to his head.
"And so you have had all this toil and labour on account of a foolish speech of mine? I have obtained my heart's desire, and am truly thankful."
As he was thanking the badger with great politeness and ceremony, the beast said, "In doing this I have but fulfilled my own wish; still I hope that you will tell this thing to no man."
"Indeed," replied the priest, "I cannot choose but tell this story. For if I keep the money in my poor hut, it will be stolen by thieves: I must either give it to some one to keep for me, or else at once offer it up at the temple. And when I do this, when people see a poor old priest with a sum of money quite unsuited to his station, they will think it very suspicious, and I shall have to tell the tale as it occurred; but as I shall say that the badger that gave me the money has ceased coming to my hut, you need not fear being waylaid, but can come, as of old, and shelter yourself from the cold." To this the badger nodded assent, and as long as the old priest lived, it came and spent the winter nights with him.
Story DNA
Moral
True generosity and spiritual purity are rewarded, and even the humblest creatures can demonstrate profound virtue.
Plot Summary
An old, devout priest living a simple life welcomes an old badger into his hut during winter. A deep friendship forms over ten years, and the grateful badger seeks to repay the priest. The priest eventually expresses a modest wish for three gold riyos to offer for his soul's salvation, emphasizing they must be lawfully obtained. The badger disappears for three years, returning with the pure gold, explaining it painstakingly refined it from discarded ore to ensure its purity for a sacred purpose. The priest, deeply moved, accepts the gift, and the badger continues its winter visits, cementing their unique bond.
Themes
Emotional Arc
peace to longing to fulfillment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects traditional Japanese Buddhist values of compassion, spiritual purity, and the interconnectedness of all beings. The badger's role subverts the typical trickster image to highlight profound virtue.
Plot Beats (11)
- An old, devout priest lives a simple, solitary life in a hut, supported by his kind neighbors.
- One very cold night, an old badger asks the priest for shelter, and the priest, without fear, welcomes it.
- The badger begins visiting every winter night, bringing firewood, and a deep friendship develops between the two.
- After ten years, the badger expresses a strong desire to repay the priest's kindness.
- The priest initially states he has no desires, but eventually admits a wish for three gold riyos to offer for his soul's salvation, emphasizing they must be lawfully obtained.
- The badger, looking troubled, disappears and does not return for three years, causing the priest to regret his wish and pray for the badger.
- After three years, the badger returns, much to the priest's delight and relief.
- The badger explains that it went to the island of Sado to gather and refine discarded sand and earth from miners to create the pure gold, as it could not steal for a sacred purpose.
- The priest is deeply touched and grateful for the badger's immense effort and purity of intention.
- The priest promises to tell the story to explain the money's origin but assures the badger it can continue its visits safely, as he will say it has stopped coming.
- The badger assents and continues to spend winter nights with the priest for the rest of his life.
Characters
The Old Priest
A thin, elderly Japanese man, likely of average height for his region and era, with a stooped posture from age and years of meditation. His body is frail but resilient, accustomed to a simple, austere life.
Attire: Simple, worn, dark grey or brown monk's robes (koromo) made of coarse, practical fabric, possibly linen or hemp, layered over a white undergarment (juban). He wears a traditional Buddhist stole (kesa) over his left shoulder, indicating his priestly status. His attire is mended and humble, reflecting his detachment from worldly possessions.
Wants: To live a life devoted to prayer and meditation, achieve salvation, and eventually be reborn into the next world.
Flaw: His desire for posthumous prayers, though small, briefly causes him distress and inadvertently puts the Badger in a difficult position.
He learns that even a small, seemingly selfless desire can lead to unexpected consequences, and he reaffirms his commitment to his spiritual path while deepening his understanding of compassion and gratitude.
Pious, compassionate, humble, patient, detached from worldly desires, grateful.
The Old Badger
A large, old Japanese badger (tanuki), with a stout, rounded body covered in coarse, grizzled grey and black fur. Its legs are short and sturdy, and it has a bushy tail. Its size is notably larger than a typical badger, allowing it to communicate and interact with humans.
Attire: None, as it is an animal, but its fur is its natural covering.
Wants: To repay the kindness shown by the priest, driven by a deep sense of obligation and gratitude.
Flaw: Its intense desire to repay a debt of gratitude, which leads it to undertake a difficult and dangerous task.
The badger transforms from a creature seeking warmth to a loyal friend who undertakes a monumental task to repay a kindness, demonstrating profound integrity and devotion.
Grateful, resourceful, determined, loyal, honorable, intelligent.
Locations
Priest's Hut at Namékata, Hitache
A simple, humble Japanese hut, likely a 'kominka' or 'minka' style, with a thatched roof and walls that occasionally fall into disrepair. Inside, there's a fire pit or irori where the priest warms himself, and an image of Buddha with a bell for prayers. The interior is sparse, reflecting the priest's ascetic life.
Mood: peaceful, humble, warm (by the fire), later anxious, then joyful
The priest lives here, practices his faith, and forms a unique friendship with the badger over many winters. The badger returns here after three years with the gold.
Mountains near Namékata
The natural habitat of the badger, a wild, rugged mountainous region. It's implied to be covered in snow and frost during winter, with sources of dried branches and dead leaves for firewood.
Mood: harsh, wild, natural, desolate
The badger's original lair, where it lives until old age makes the cold unbearable. It's where the badger retreats to after its visits and where it goes to ponder the priest's request for money.
Island of Sado - Miner's Waste Piles
A remote island known for mining, specifically gold. The location is described as where miners cast away 'worthless' sand and earth, implying tailings piles or discarded ore. The badger spent months here, fusing this material.
Mood: industrial, desolate, laborious, hidden
The badger undertakes a three-year journey and arduous labor here, transforming discarded earth into pure gold for the priest.