The Magic Pot

Long, long ago, there lived an old man. He had a great passion for drinking tea and always brewed it himself. He also took great care of his tea utensils. One day, the old man went into a shop and saw a cast-iron kettle on the shelf. It was old and rusty, but the old man had a keen eye and quickly saw beneath the rust that the kettle was truly beautiful.

The old man returned home with his purchase and immediately got to work: he carefully cleaned the kettle until not a trace of rust remained, and then invited his friends over.

"Look at the wonderful kettle I bought today," he boasted. "I'll pour water into it now and treat you all to some excellent tea."

The old man placed coals in the brazier, lit the fire, and set the kettle on it. Everyone sat around, waiting for the water to boil.

The kettle slowly heated up, but then something extraordinary happened! First, a badger's head appeared on the kettle, then a badger's tail grew, and soon four short badger legs popped out.

"Ugh! Ugh! It's so hot!" the kettle cried in a human voice. "It seems I'm boiling! Y-yes, I'm boiling!"

The kettle jumped out of the fire and dashed toward the door on its short badger legs.

The old man was stunned, unable to believe his eyes! Where had anyone ever seen a kettle running around the house?

"Quickly! Quickly!" the old man shouted. "Catch it! Don't let it get away!"

One of the guests grabbed a broom, another took the tongs used to stir the coals, and a third picked up a ladle. They all chased after the kettle!

They chased the extraordinary kettle for a long time, but when they finally caught it, they saw that the badger's head, tail, and four short legs had disappeared—it was just an ordinary kettle again.

"How strange!" the old man exclaimed. "The kettle must be enchanted. I have no use for it. I should give it to someone."

Just then, a junk dealer appeared. The old man handed him the kettle and said, "Here, this has been lying around the house. I'll sell it cheap. Pay whatever you can."

The junk dealer took the kettle, turned it over in his hands, and gave the old man a copper coin. The dealer was pleased with the good deal, and the old man was glad to be rid of the strange kettle.

That evening, the junk dealer went to bed. The house was very quiet when suddenly a voice called out:

"Respected sir, where are you? Please, answer me!"

The junk dealer opened his eyes and lit a lamp. "Who's calling me?"

He looked and saw the kettle standing on his pillow—with a badger's head, a badger's tail, and four short badger legs.

"Who are you? Aren't you the kettle I bought from the old man today?" the junk dealer asked.

"Yes," came the reply, "but know this: I am not a kettle, I am a badger, and my name is Bumbuku. I bring good luck. The old man put me on the fire to boil water, so I ran away from him. If you don't mistreat me or put me on the fire, I will bring you good fortune."

"You tell such amazing stories," the junk dealer said. "Tell me, how can you bring me good luck?"

"Oh! Don't worry!" The kettle wagged its badger tail cheerfully. "I can do hilarious tricks—you'll see! We'll put on shows and collect money from the audience."

"Alright, that sounds good!" The junk dealer built a small stage and wrote a poster: "The Magical Kettle Bumbuku Brings Good Luck!" People flocked eagerly to see Bumbuku. The badger did all sorts of things to entertain the crowd: it jumped, rolled, and even hung from a bar. But what the audience loved most was when Bumbuku walked on a tightrope, holding a lantern in one paw and a fan in the other. It was truly a marvel!

After each performance, the junk dealer would give Bumbuku a few rice cakes.

The junk dealer grew rich. One day, he said to the badger:

"Every day you entertain people—you must be tired. I have plenty of money now. Why don't you return to the old man and live quietly and peacefully with him?"

Bumbuku was delighted.

"I am very tired and would love to live with the old man, but he always tried to put me on the fire. What if he doesn't give me rice cakes?"

"Don't worry, Bumbuku, I'll sort it out," the junk dealer replied.

He took some money, grabbed Bumbuku's favorite rice cakes, and went with the badger to the old man's house.

"Respected sir, please allow Bumbuku to live with you," the junk dealer requested. "But please, don't put him on the fire and give him rice cakes."

"Of course, let him stay," the old man agreed. "I'll give Bumbuku the most honorable place in the house. He really does bring good luck. If I had known that earlier, I would never have put him on the fire!"

The old man placed two tall pedestals in his house. On one, the kettle stood proudly, and on the other, rice cakes were laid out.

They say Bumbuku still stands in the old man's house to this day, and he is very happy there. People come, bring rice cakes, and never put him on the fire again. And so, Bumbuku lives—peacefully and happily.

More fairy tales

• Urashima and the Turtle
• The Swallows and the Gourd
• The Brave Issimbosi
• The Badger and the Snail
• The Rooster Painted on a Scroll