• Once there was prince in the land of Japan. His father died long ago and he was unfit to rule his country. So he lived alone until he was fit to lead his people into an ever lasting age of glory. One day when the boy was farming for himself a badger and a fox came upon the palace and spotted the boy.
    "Lets make a wager," the badger says. "Whoever drives the prince out of the palace the winner shall live there from now on. It would be much better than a fox den or a badger's hut"
    The fox thought for a moment. "Yes a fine wager it is"
    "Let's take turns, I shall go first" the badger suggested.
    The next moring the palace was swarming with vemomous snakes and it came to be that a large snake was nearby.
    "Thissss isss our land boy!" the snake hissed. "Many centriesss ago we have kept our end of the deal to let your generation live on our land for one night but now it hasth come to be many yearssss! I bid you to be gone or I shall strike you where you sssstand!"
    The boy stared up at the snake then smiled. "I will leave but if I may ask but one question?"
    "What?" replied the snake.
    "Why would a snake said "has" without hissing at the end and if I'm correct you said "Hasth" which must mean your speaking through your teeth but your fangs are so far apart" The boy concured.
    The snake hesitated but kept his eyes on the boy.
    "If I'm not mistaken you must be a badger"
    The snakes disappeared then the large snake feld right before turning into a badger. Far away as the boy laughed a Fox yipped in laughter.

    Two days have passed and the rain has come pouring one night. The prince could not hear the faintest whisper but he did hear a sob. Sprawled out in the rain was the most beautiful woman wearing the finest silk. The prince carried her in wear she told her story.
    "I have came a long way from my home which was burned down by baindets trying to kill me," she said eating on the rice she was given. "They will follow me here and i suggest that you must flee"
    "Yes I may have to," the prince said. "But tell me what are you really, for i have never seen beautiful eyes like yours on a human face?"
    The woman looked at him then leaped over the flames of the fire only to turn into the fox. She glared up at the prince but he just smiled then she fled into the stormy night.
    A week has passed and the prince was plauged by the two tricksters only to surpass them. One night a clan of Oni were restless and came storming out of the forest and to the palace.
    "FEAST!" they all roared as they lit a bonfire. "FEAST ON THE PRINCE-CHILD! FEAST ON HIS BLOOD! FEAST ON HIS TESTICALS! FEAST! FEEEAASSST! COME OUT BOY!"
    "And what if I don't come out?" the prince asked.
    "THEN WE SHALL COME IN AND BURN YOUR HOME AND PLUCK YOUR CHARRED BODY AND FEAST ON YOUR ROASTED FLEASH!"
    But the Prince did not flee. When the Oni roared once more the Prince walked out then grabbed a torch.
    "I do have enough of this annoance of yours" he said then whipped the fire at the oni. Unlike any oni they cowered then turned into a badger. When the prince's eyes set upon him he whipped it at the badger burning his tail. The badger fled crying out in pain.

    Near dawn the Prince woke up due to another presance in his room. It was none other than the fox with her head bowed down in respect.
    "I am sorry for the plauges we brought upon you," she said. "You see the badger and I made a wager to see if we could get you to leave so we may live here. Now the badger is gone with his back burnt. My home is near the falls and has flooded. With your permission I ask to stay here for one night?"
    The prince looked at the fox with one eye and smiled. "I accept your apology and yes, you may stay"
    Everyday when the prince farms for food the fox comes by ever once in a while which made him smile. He did not know that the Fox has fallen madly in love with the monk. No one knows how this came to be. Perhaps its the time when he carried her into the palace during that rainy night; we shall never know.
    One night the fox was exploring the woods until she came upon the demons of the Yin Yang master who spoke of something that sent chills up her spine.
    "So it shall happen now?" ask one of the demons
    "Yesss starting tomorrow the Prince shall die"
    To be Continued...