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Tale Summary

There was once a man named Brave Soldier, who was on a journey. He found himself in a dense forest during a storm and could not find anywhere to spend the night until he came across an old, worn-down temple. Some time after he had fallen asleep there, he awoke to the sound of shrieking, and heard a voice say: “Remember, don’t tell this to Shippeitaro. All is lost if Shippeitaro knows it.” Brave Soldier took note of this and went back to sleep. The next day he set out and came to a village, where everyone was weeping and dressed as though someone had died. He asked around as to what was the matter, and was directed to a young woman consoling her grandparents. She explained to Brave Soldier how every year, someone must be sacrificed at the old temple to prevent the village from being destroyed by a monster, and that she would be placed in a basket and taken there. He asked if she knew anyone by the name of Shippeitaro, and she told him that was the name of her black dog. Brave Soldier explained what he had heard at the temple the previous night, and asked the girl if he could borrow the dog. She agreed, and he had the dog placed in the basket in her stead and had him carried to the temple. At midnight, while standing guard, Brave Soldier saw a group of cats led by a fierce-looking tomcat. They opened the basket and the dog lept out and killed the tom-cat, who was really the monster, and the rest of the group ran away. Brave Soldier brought Shippeitaro back to the village and told the story, and the dog’s picture was hung over doors to ward away evil.

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