“Oh, he’ll give us three hundred cash at least.”

“Then I’ll give you half a bu;[1] and so you’ll gain five hundred cash by the transaction.”

“Oh, we’ll sell him for that, sir.  How shall we hand him over to you?”

“Just tie him up here,” said the other; and so he made fast the cub round the neck with the string of the napkin in which the luncheon-box was wrapped, and gave half a bu to the three boys, who ran away delighted.

The man’s friend, upon this, said to him:  “Well, certainly you have got queer tastes.  What on earth are you going to keep the fox for?”

“How very unkind of you to speak of my tastes like that.  If we had not interfered just now, the fox’s cub would have lost its life.  If we had not seen the affair, there would have been no help for it.  How could I stand by and see life taken?  It was but a little I spent—­only half a bu—­to save the cub, but had it cost a fortune I should not have grudged it.  I thought you were intimate enough with me to know my heart; but to-day you have accused me of being eccentric, and I see how mistaken I have been in you.  However, our friendship shall cease from this day forth.”

And when he had said this with a great deal of firmness, the other, retiring backward and bowing with his hands on his knees, replied: 

“Indeed, indeed, I am filled with admiration at the goodness of your heart.  When I hear you speak thus, I feel more than ever how great is the love I bear you.  I thought that you might wish to use the cub as a sort of decoy to lead the old ones to you, that you might pray them to bring prosperity and virtue to your house.  When I called you eccentric just now, I was but trying your heart, because I had some suspicions of you; and now I am truly ashamed of myself.”

And as he spoke, still bowing, the other replied:  “Really! was that indeed your thought?  Then I pray you to forgive me for my violent language.”

When the two friends had thus become reconciled, they examined the cub, and saw that it had a slight wound in its foot, and could not walk; and while they were thinking what they should do, they spied out the herb called “Doctor’s Nakase,” which was just sprouting; so they rolled up a little of it in their fingers and applied it to the part.  Then they pulled out some boiled rice from their luncheon-box and offered it to the cub, but it showed no sign of wanting to eat; so they stroked it gently on the back and petted it; and as the pain of the wound seemed to have subsided, they were admiring the properties of the herb, when, opposite to them, they saw the old foxes sitting watching them by the side of some stacks of rice straw.

“Look there! the old foxes have come back, out of fear for their cub’s safety.  Come, we will set it free!” And with these words they untied the string round the cub’s neck, and turned its head toward the spot where the old foxes sat; and as the wounded foot was no longer painful, with one bound it dashed to its parents’ side and licked them all over for joy, while they seemed to bow their thanks, looking toward the two friends.  So, with peace in their hearts, the latter went off to another place, and, choosing a pretty spot, produced the wine bottle and ate their noonday meal; and after a pleasant day, they returned to their homes, and became firmer friends than ever.