Right in the middle of Japan, high in the mountains, an old man lived in a little house. He found an old iron kettle in a corner of his room and decided to use it to boil water. To his surprise, when placed on the fire, the kettle transformed into a strange creature, then changed back into a kettle. The old man decided to sell it, and a merchant came and took it away.
That night, the merchant was awakened by a loud noise. The kettle had become the strange creature again and was running about his room. Yet, by early morning, it lay quietly in the corner once more. A neighbor, upon hearing the story, advised the merchant to travel the country and display it.
The merchant discovered he could ask the kettle to change and perform. The performances drew large audiences, and he earned a great deal of money. However, he was an honest man. Though now rich, he felt he owed some of his wealth to the old man from whom he had bought the kettle.
One morning, he placed one hundred gold pieces inside the kettle, hung it on his arm, and returned to the old man. The old man thanked him, saying few people would have been so honest.
The kettle brought luck to them both. Everything went well for them until they died.