y one. Much less did she think that the badger was only deceiving
her in order to get away. She felt sorry, too, for the animal as she
turned to look at him. He looked in such a sad plight hanging downwards
from the ceiling by his legs, which were all tied together so tightly
that the rope and the knots were cutting into the skin. So in the
kindness of her heart, and believing the creature's promise that he
would not run away, she untied the cord and let him down.

The old woman then gave him the wooden pestle and told him to do the
work for a short time while she rested. He took the pestle, but instead
of doing the work as he was told, the badger at once sprang upon the
old woman and knocked her down with the heavy piece of wood. He then
killed her and cut her up and made soup of her, and waited for the
return of the old farmer. The old man worked hard in his fields all
day, and as he worked he thought with pleasure that no more now would
his labor be spoiled by the destructive badger.

Towards sunset he left his work and turned to go home. He was very
tired, but the thought of the nice supper of hot badger soup awaiting
his return cheered him. The thought that the badger might get free and
take revenge on the poor old woman never once came into his mind.

The badger meanwhile assumed the old woman's form, and as soon as he
saw the old farmer approaching came out to greet him on the veranda of
the little house, saying:

"So you have come back at last. I have made the badger soup and have
been waiting for you for a long time."

The old farmer quickly took off his straw sandals and sat down before
his tiny dinner-tray. The innocent man never even dreamed that it was
not his wife but the badger who was waiting upon him, and asked at once
for the soup. Then the badger suddenly transformed himself back to his
natural form and cried out:

"You wife-eating old man! Look out for the bones in the kitchen!"

Laughing loudly and derisively he escaped out of the house and ran away
to his den in the hills. The old man was left behind alone. He could
hardly believe what he had seen and heard. Then when he understood the
whole truth he was so scared and horrified that he fainted right away.
After a while he came round and burst into tears. He cried loudly and
bitterly. He rocked himself to and fro in his hopeless grief. It seemed
too terrible to be real that his faithful old wife had been killed and
cooked by the badger while