One day, when the priest of the
temple was about to hang it over the hearth to boil the water for his
tea, to his amazement the kettle all of a sudden put forth the head
and tail of a badger. What a wonderful kettle, to come out all over
fur! The priest, thunderstruck, called in the novices of the temple to
see the sight; and whilst they were stupidly staring, one suggesting
one thing and another another, the kettle, jumping up into the air,
began flying about the room. More astonished than ever, the priest and
his pupils tried to pursue it; but no thief or cat was ever half so
sharp as this wonderful badger-kettle. At last, however, they managed
to knock it down and secure it; and, holding it in with their united
efforts, they forced it into a box, intending to carry it off and
throw it away in some distant place, so that they might be no more
plagued by the goblin. For this day their troubles were over; but, as
luck would have it, the tinker who was in the habit of working for the
temple called in, and the priest suddenly bethought him that it was a
pity to throw the kettle away for nothing, and that he might as
well get a trifle for it, no matter how small. So he brought out the
kettle, which had resumed its former shape and had got rid of its head
and tail, and showed it to the tinker.
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