The Werewolf from the Old Temple

In ancient, ancient times, there stood an old temple in a village. Everything would have been fine if a shapeshifter hadn’t settled in that temple. People began to fear approaching the temple: sometimes they thought the steps creaked, and other times it seemed as if someone was laughing. It was downright terrifying!

One day, the villagers gathered at the elder’s house to discuss how to tame the shapeshifter. They pondered this way and that, but couldn’t come up with a solution. Who would willingly go to the temple at night?

At that very moment, a traveling potion merchant arrived in the village. His name was Tasuke, and he was young, so he feared nothing.

"Can no one deal with the shapeshifter?" Tasuke shrugged. "Alright, I’ll help you—I’ll go to the temple myself."

He waited until nightfall and headed to the temple. Autumn nights are quiet: not a sound could be heard. Tasuke sat in the temple, sat some more, and then got bored and yawned. And what a loud yawn it was! The echo reverberated all around, echoing and echoing, unable to stop.

Finally, everything went silent. Tasuke saw the shapeshifter standing before him, smiling.

"Who are you?" the shapeshifter asked. "A brave one, huh? Came here alone?"

"Of course, alone. Who else would I come with?" Tasuke didn’t understand and yawned again.

The shapeshifter was taken aback.

"So, you’re not afraid of me?"

"What do you mean, afraid?" Tasuke didn’t get it.

"You’re a strange one, aren’t you?" the shapeshifter chuckled. "Everyone in the world is afraid of something. What are you afraid of?"

"Leave me alone," Tasuke snapped. "I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

The shapeshifter sat down beside Tasuke and began to explain.

"You see," he said, "you must be afraid of something. Take me, for example. I’m a shapeshifter. Everyone’s afraid of me, so they don’t come to the temple."

"Who are you? A shapeshifter?" Tasuke asked again. "I’d never have believed it!"

"Yes, I’m a shapeshifter," the creature replied proudly. "You should be afraid of me too!"

"Oh, come on!" Tasuke retorted. "Am I a fool to be afraid of you? If I’m afraid of anything, it’s gold coins. When I see them, I get goosebumps."

"See, I told you, I told you!" the shapeshifter exclaimed happily. "Everyone in the world is afraid of something."

"Everyone?" Tasuke didn’t believe it. "Even you?"

"Me?" The shapeshifter thought for a moment. "To tell the truth, I’m afraid of boiled eggplants. Their smell is disgusting; it drives me crazy."

The shapeshifter glanced out the window and hurried.

"It’s almost dawn, time for me to go," he said. "Come back tomorrow—I’ll scare you then!"

The next night, Tasuke returned to the temple. He brought with him a large pot with a lid and a whole lot of eggplants. He boiled them, covered the pot, and waited for the shapeshifter to arrive.

At midnight, the shapeshifter appeared. He walked in, then started sweating. Tasuke looked closer and saw that the shapeshifter was carrying a large sack. After catching his breath, the shapeshifter said:

"Alright, get ready—I’m going to scare you now!"

He pulled out a handful of gold coins from the sack and threw them at Tasuke.

"Well, are you scared?" he asked. "It’s going to get even scarier!"

Tasuke ran away from the shapeshifter, dashing around the temple and shouting:

"Oh, I’m scared! Ah, I’m scared!"

The shapeshifter was delighted.

"Everyone’s afraid of something!" he yelled.

Tasuke ran around the temple until the shapeshifter had scattered the entire floor with gold. Then Tasuke ran to the pot and opened the lid. Steam burst out, filling the temple with the smell of boiled eggplants.

The shapeshifter grimaced, twitched, and then bolted out of the temple. He ran into the garden, grabbed a tree, and—lo and behold—turned into a mushroom, a big, huge mushroom.

The villagers were overjoyed to be rid of the shapeshifter. They bought many herbs and potions from Tasuke in gratitude. Then they went to the temple to collect the gold coins. But when they looked, they saw that they weren’t coins at all—they were little mushrooms. So they left empty-handed.

Tasuke went on his way, telling the story of the shapeshifter from the old temple wherever he went.

And what became of the big mushroom? They say it still stands by the temple to this day. At first, they thought about eating it, but then they reconsidered: maybe it’s poisonous, since it used to be a shapeshifter?

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The Werewolf from the Old Temple

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