The Nine-Tailed Fox

Here's another funny tale from the same Korean Folklore book that also featured The Tiger and Persimmon. It's even more hilarious.

The Nine-Tailed Fox
Told by Ma Hĕ-Song; Gĕsĕng (1925)
From Folk Tales From Korea (1952)
Collected and translated by Zong In-Sob

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One day a man made water by the roadside. Then he saw that he
Had done it on a white bone. He asked rather pointlessly 'Is it cold?'
and the bone replied, 'Yes, it it cold.' So he asked again, 'Is it warm?'
And the bone replied, 'Yes it is warm.'

The man was very alarmed at this remarkable occurrence, and he
Ran away. Then the bone got up and ran after him. It nearly caught
him up, and he was more frightened than ever. Just then he came to
a wine shop. So he turned to the bone and said, 'Just wait here a
moment. I'll get you some wine.' Then he went into the shop and
ran away through the back door. He went on his way and saw no
more of the bone.

A few years later he happened to pass by the same wine shop. He
saw another one in front of it, that appeared to be newly built.
There was a pretty young woman selling wine in the new shop, so
he went in. As he drank he chatted to the girl. His earlier experience
came to mind, and he said. 'A few years ago I outwitted a white bone
on this very spot.' As he spoke the girl turned into a nine-tailed fox.

'I was that white bone,' she cried. 'I have been waiting for you to
come back.' With these words she sprang on him and ate him up.
And the moral is that one should not make water on white bones.

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