Readers will be happy to know that tonight’s kitsune tale is a heartwarming one, not a sad one like the previous animal stories we had.
The story refers to a man named so-and-so and a place called such-and-such. This is more or less a direct translation of what the original text says, even though it sounds a little awkward when translated in English. This kind of vague phrasing actually isn’t too uncommon in Mimibukuro. We can assume the fox gave a specific name and place when he spoke, but they were either not remembered or not known by the storyteller.
The Fox Who Sought Out a Surgeon and Repaid His Kindness
There was a surgeon serving the Tayasu surgery clinic named Yoko’o Dōeki. His father, also named Dōeki, was from Nagasaki, but his son had long wished to move out east to establish his own practice. However, because this was such a great undertaking, this plan was delayed time and time again.
One day, a man came seeking treatment. Upon examination, Dōeki found a swelling on the man’s shoulder. He administered medicine, and after a few days, the injury healed. The man expressed his deep gratitude and presented Dōeki with 200 copper coins. However, Dōeki refused the payment, saying, “When you came, you told us that you were a traveler in difficult circumstances, so we provided the medicine out of goodwill. There is no need for payment. Please use it for your travel expenses.”
The man expressed his deep gratitude and insisted that Dōeki keep the money. Finally, Dōeki asked, “Who exactly are you?”
The man replied, “There is no reason to hide it any longer. I am a fox, and I have traveled here on an errand from the Chanoki Inari shrine in Ichigaya, Edo. On the way, I was struck unexpectedly by a stone tile and suffered an injury—but thanks to you I have recovered and will return home tomorrow. You have long wished to go to Edo, but have not been able to arrange it yet. Your destiny lies with the Nagasaki magistrate who will arrive next year. Through him, you will be able to go to Edo. Once you get there, seek out a man named so-and-so who lives behind a such-and-such shop in Ichigaya. He is a dependable person, so entrust your fate to him.” And then he departed.
Dōeki remained bewildered by this strange occurrence, when the following year, the magistrate serving in Nagasaki developed a painful boil. Dōeki treated him and he recovered, and the magistrate suggested Dōeki move to Edo. When the magistrate’s term of service ended and he was rotated back to Edo, he took Dōeki with him.
Dōeki settled in the area of Bakurochō and rented a shop. Right from the start, his practice prospered and he was able to earn a living. But one night, that same man appeared to him in a dream and told him, “This is not a safe place. Relocate to Ichigaya within a day or two.”
As this was indeed what the man had told him in Nagasaki, he immediately went to Ichigaya and sought out so-and-so in the alley behind such-and-such shop. The man living there was greatly surprised and said, “Lately, Chanoki Inari has been giving me recurring dreams about you, telling me to look after you.”
The man inquired about suitable locations nearby, rented a plot of land near Ryūkeibashi, and arranged for Dōeki to set up his practice there. After a short while, a fire broke out in Bakurochō, and the place where he had previously lived burned to the ground. Dōeki’s faith in Inari grew ever stronger, and before long he was summoned to Tayasu, where he now practices medicine and is financially stable.
Dōeki’s wife—who witnessed Dōeki speaking face-to-face with a fox—told this story to my acquaintance Mochizuki.
