Kachi-kachi Yama facts for kids
Kachi-kachi Yama (かちかち山, kachi-kachi is a sound word for fire, and yama means "mountain". So, it roughly means "Fire-Crackle Mountain"). This famous Japanese folktale is also known as Kachi-Kachi Mountain or The Farmer and the Badger. It tells the story of a clever rabbit and a tricky tanuki, which is a Japanese raccoon dog. In this tale, the tanuki is the villain.
Contents
The Story of Kachi-kachi Yama
The Tricky Tanuki
The story begins when a farmer catches a troublesome tanuki in his fields. This tanuki had been causing a lot of problems. The farmer tied the tanuki to a tree, planning to deal with it later.
While the farmer was away, the tanuki started to cry and beg the farmer's wife to set him free. She was busy making mochi, a sweet rice cake. The tanuki promised it would help her if she let it go. Sadly, the kind wife believed the tanuki and freed it. But the tanuki was very mean. It turned on her and hurt her badly.
Then, the tanuki played a terrible trick. Using its shapeshifting powers, it changed its appearance to look exactly like the farmer's wife. It even cooked a horrible soup. When the farmer came home, the tanuki served him this soup. After the farmer ate, the tanuki changed back to its real form. It then showed its true evil self before running away. The poor farmer was left in shock and deep sadness.
The Rabbit's Plan
The farmer and his wife had a good friend nearby: a clever rabbit. When the rabbit learned what the tanuki had done, it felt very sad for its friends. The rabbit decided it would get revenge for the farmer's wife.
The rabbit pretended to be friends with the tanuki. But secretly, it planned many tricks to get back at the tanuki. For example, the rabbit dropped a bee's nest on the tanuki. Then, it offered to "treat" the stings with a peppery poultice that burned even more!
The story's name, Kachi-kachi Yama, comes from one of the rabbit's most painful tricks. The tanuki was carrying a heavy load of wood on its back to make a campfire. It was so busy that it didn't notice when the rabbit set fire to the wood. Soon, the tanuki heard a crackling sound. It asked the rabbit what the sound was. "It is Kachi-Kachi Yama!" the rabbit replied. "We are not far from it, so it's normal to hear it!" Eventually, the fire reached the tanuki's back, burning it badly. But it did not kill the tanuki.
The Boat Race
The tanuki then challenged the rabbit to a race across a lake. They would each build a boat and see who was better. The smart rabbit carved its boat out of a strong, fallen tree trunk. But the foolish tanuki made its boat out of mud. In some versions of the story, the rabbit built both boats.
At first, both competitors seemed to be doing well. But soon, the tanukis mud boat began to dissolve in the middle of the lake. As the tanuki struggled to stay afloat, the rabbit called out. It reminded the tanuki of its friendship with the human couple. The rabbit said this was the tanukis punishment for its horrible actions. In some versions, the rabbit even hit the tanuki with its oar to make sure it sank.
After the tanuki was defeated, the rabbit went back to the old man's home. It told him all about the revenge. The old man was very relieved and thanked the rabbit for its brave deed.
Story Variations
There are different versions of this folktale. Some change small details, like how badly the tanuki hurt the woman. Others explain how the tanuki ended up with the mud boat.
Images for kids
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The climactic scene of Kachi-kachi Yama, in which the rabbit strikes the already-sinking tanuki with an oar, and reveals his vendetta. Detail from a Japanese painting circa 1890s-1900s.
See also
In Spanish: Kachi-kachi Yama para niños
