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On the dusty roads of a small village, a travelling salesman was having difficulty selling his wares.
在一条尘土飞扬的乡间小道上，一个沿路叫卖的小贩卖不出杂货。
He'd recently traversed the region just a few weeks ago, and most of the villagers had already seen his supply.
几周前他才走过这一带，大多数村民已经看过他的货品。
So he wandered the outskirts of the town in the hopes of finding some new customers.
于是他在城郊游荡，希望能找到一些新顾客。
Unfortunately, the road was largely deserted,
不幸的是，这条路几乎空无一人，
and the salesman was about to turn back, when he heard a high-pitched yelp coming from the edge of the forest.
当小贩正要回头时，听到森林边缘传来尖锐的叫声。
Following the screams to their source, he discovered a trapped tanuki.
循声而去，他发现了一只掉进陷阱的狸猫。
While these racoon-like creatures were known for their wily ways, this one appeared terrified and powerless.
虽然这些像浣熊一样的生物以诡计多端著称，这一只却看起来害怕又孤立无助。
The salesman freed the struggling creature, but before he could tend to its wounds, it bolted into the undergrowth.
小贩释放了这只挣扎的生物，但小贩还没来得及处理它的伤口，它就钻进了灌木丛。
The next day, he set off on his usual route. As he trudged along, he spotted a discarded tea kettle.
第二天他继续按着老路走。缓缓前行时，他发现一个被丢弃的茶壶。
It was rusty and old -- but perhaps he could sell it to the local monks.
这只老旧的茶壶锈迹斑斑，但也许他可以把它卖给当地的和尚。
The salesman polished it until it sparkled and shone. He carried the kettle to Morin-ji Temple and presented it to the solemn monks.
小贩把它擦得闪闪发光。他把水壶带到茂林寺，交给庄严的僧侣们。
His timing was perfect -- they were in need of a large kettle for an important service, and purchased his pot for a handsome price.
他的时机恰到好处，僧人们正好需要一个大水壶来做一项重要的宗教仪式，于是他们以可观的价格买下了小贩的水壶。
To open the ceremony, they began to pour cups of tea for each monk -- but the kettle cooled too quickly.
仪式开始时，僧人们开始为每个和尚倒茶--但是水壶里的水凉的太快了。
It had to be reheated often throughout the long service, and when it was hot, it seemed to squirm in the pourer's hand.
在冗长仪式过程中需要经常加热，茶水很烫的时候，茶壶似乎在倒茶者手中蠕动。
By the end of the ceremony, the monks felt cheated by their purchase, and called for the salesman to return and explain himself.
仪式结束时，僧侣们觉得被骗了，于是他们召回小贩，讨个说法。
The following morning, the salesman examined the pot, but he couldn't find anything unusual about it.
次日早上，小贩检查茶壶，但是并未发现任何不寻常的地方。
Hoping a cup of tea would help them think, they set the kettle on the fire.
希望喝杯茶能带来灵感，他们将茶壶放在火上烧。
Within moments, the metal began to sweat. Suddenly, it sprouted a scrubby tail, furry paws and pointed nose.
不一会儿，茶壶开始冒汗。忽然长出一条粗糙的尾巴、毛茸茸的爪子和尖尖的鼻子。
With a yelp, the salesman recognized the tanuki he'd freed. The salesman was shocked.
小贩大叫一声，认出了这是他释放的狸猫。小贩十分震惊。
He'd heard tales of shape-shifting tanuki who transformed by pulling on their testicles.
他听说过狸猫变形的故事，它们拉动自己的睾丸变身。
But they were usually troublesome tricksters, who played embarrassing pranks on travellers, or made it rain money that later dissolved into leaves.
但它们通常是麻烦的骗子，对旅行者恶作剧，或是让天上下钱，之后钱会变成树叶。
Some people even placed tanuki statues outside their homes and businesses to trick potential pranksters into taking their antics elsewhere.
有些人还在住家和行号外头放置狸猫雕像，哄那些打算行骗的人把鬼把戏带到别处。
However, this tanuki only smiled sweetly. Why had he chosen this unsuspecting form?
但是这只狸猫只是甜甜地笑了。狸猫为什么会选择变成茶壶这种不起眼的物件？
The tanuki explained that he wanted to repay the salesman's kindness.
狸猫解释说它想回报小贩的善举。
However, he'd grown too hot as a tea kettle, and didn't like being burned, scrubbed, or polished.
但是做茶壶实在是太热了，也不喜欢被火烧、被擦洗、被打磨。
The monk and salesman laughed, both impressed by this honourable trickster.
和尚和小贩都笑了，被这个可敬的骗子打动了。
From that day on, the tanuki became an esteemed guest of the temple.
从那天起，狸猫成为了寺院尊贵的客人。
He could frequently be found telling tales and performing tricks that amused even the most serious monks.
人们经常看到它讲故事，耍花招，即使是最严肃的僧侣都觉得好笑。
Villagers came from far away to see the temple tanuki, and the salesman visited often to share tea made from an entirely normal kettle.
村民们自远处来参观狸猫神庙，小贩也经常来这里，共饮用普通茶壶泡的茶。
