Once upon a time, near a great river between two high mountains, an old peasant and his wife lived in a cottage surrounded by a dense forest. The peasant was friends with a hare, a bond observed with envy by a wicked Tanuki (raccoon dog). The Tanuki repeatedly stole or ruined food left for the hare.
Finally, the peasant captured the Tanuki, tied it up, and hung it from a beam. He then went to gather firewood, leaving his wife alone. The cunning Tanuki pleaded with the woman, pretending to be in pain and promising to help pound rice if freed. Fooled by his lies, she untied him. Instantly, the Tanuki seized her, killed her, and ground her body in the mortar. He then cooked her flesh in a pot.
When the peasant returned, the Tanuki, using magic, disguised himself as the wife and served the gruesome meal. After the peasant ate, the Tanuki revealed his true form and the horrifying truth before fleeing into the forest.
Heartbroken and vengeful, the peasant was comforted by his friend the hare. The hare devised a plan. He visited the Tanuki with a hatchet, tricked him into carrying a heavy bundle of wood, and then set it on fire. When the Tanuki was badly burned, the hare offered a "healing" ointment laced with pepper, causing even greater pain.
Knowing the Tanuki would seek revenge, the peasant and hare built two boats: one sturdy wooden boat and a larger one made of clay. They invited the recovering Tanuki to go fishing. Greedy for more fish, the Tanuki chose the large clay boat. Once in deep water, the hare struck the clay boat with his oar, shattering it. The Tanuki fell into the river and drowned.
The peasant was finally avenged. He took the loyal hare into his home, and they lived together in peace on the mountain.