In what are now ancient times, there was a person troubled by a spirit. 
A medium came, and the spirit entered her, saying "I am a fox.  I have not come
to do harm.  I only thought 'in this sort of place, there is often much food.' 
And when I peered in I became stuck here, as you can see."  So saying, the
medium drew from her pocket a white pearl, the size of a mikan.  She held up
the pearl and those who saw it said, "What an exquisite jewel!"  Others thought
suspiciously, "This medium must have had it in her pocket all along, in order
to deceive people."  Thereupon, a strong, young samurai who was sitting next to
her swiftly grabbed the jewel the woman was holding up, and put it in his
pocket.  
	Upon this, the fox possessing the woman spoke, "What a terrible deed!
Give me that jewel back!"  The fox begged and pleaded with the man, but he
would not listen.  The fox wept and wept, and turning to the man said, "Even
though you may have the pearl, as you don't know how to use it, it will do you
no good.  Yet you taking the jewel is a great loss for me.  Therefore, if you
do not give it back to me, I swear to become your enemy for all time.  If you
return it to me, I will follow and protect you, like a guardian spirit."  And
when the fox said this, the man came to feel there was no point in his keeping
the pearl, so he said to the fox, "Well then, guard me without fail!"  And the
fox replied "Most certainly! I shall protect you unwaveringly -- for my kind
never lies, and it cannot be said that we ever disregard our obligations."  And
then the man said "Let the spirits who protect the Buddha's law hold you fast
in your promise," upon which the fox said, "Listen truely spirits, if he
returns the jewel, then him I shall surely protect!" Upon this the man took the
pearl from his pocket, and gave it to the woman.  The fox took it with much
delight.  After this, the fox left the medium and departed.
	And then, the people there held the medium, and did not let her rise,
and they searched her pockets -- but the jewel was nowhere to be found.  It was
then they realized that it actually had been taken away by the fox when it
left.
	A while after, the man who had grabbed the jewel was on the way home
from visiting Uzumasa.  It became dark as he left the hall on his way home, and
by the time he was crossing the fields it was already night.  He became quite
scared when he had passed by Otenmon.  "What is this?" he thought fearfully. 
"Did the fox not say 'I will protect you'?" He recalled the fox's promise, so
he stood out alone in the dark and called "fox ... fox!"  Whereupon the fox
called out "Kou! Kou!"  When the man looked he saw the fox right before him. 
"As I had expected." he thought, and he turned to the fox saying, "I see you
are true to your word! I'm quite impressed.  Here I was thinking of the path
ahead, but I became terribly afraid -- will you guide me along?"  The fox made
a face of ascent as it nodded, and turning, went down the path.  The man
followed behind, and they soon turned down a different route that he had walked
before.  The fox stopped, and walked softly, bent over and looking all about. 
The man also walked softly, in the way of the fox, and soon he sensed another
person nearby.  Upon looking he saw many men with swords and bows, discussing
some matter.  Creaping up to a wall, and listening over it he realized that
they were nothing other than burglars planning to raid a household.  "These
bandits are standing on my usual path.  That is why we avoided the main road --
why we went along behind the walls.  The fox knew that, and led me away from
the place with the robbers!" said the man to himself.  After coming to the
path's end, the fox dissappeared, and the man returned home safely.  But this
was not the end of the fox's help.  In this way, the fox always stayed by the
man, and helped him many times.  Truely, when the fox said "I will protect
you", nothing different would happen, and the man was thankful ever after.  If
he had not returned the jewel, no good things would have happened, to be sure. 
"I was wise to return it," thought the man.  
	Thinking of this, we can see that this sort of creature always
remembers obligations, and never lies.  
	Therefore, if a chance arises to help, this sort of beast always comes
to assist.  Humans, who have a soul, should remember thier obligations. 
However, even though they are people, many of them cannot remember their
obligations as can the beast.  They have untrue hearts, and so the story is
told.