So I went to the island of Sado,[4] and gathering the sand and
earth which had been cast away as worthless by the miners, fused it
afresh in the fire; and at this work I spent months and days." As the
badger finished speaking, the priest looked at the money which it had
produced, and sure enough he saw that it was bright and new and clean;
so he took the money, and received it respectfully, raising it to his
head.
"And so you have had all this toil and labour on account of a foolish
speech of mine? I have obtained my heart's desire, and am truly
thankful."
As he was thanking the badger with great politeness and ceremony, the
beast said: "In doing this I have but fulfilled my own wish; still I
hope that you will tell this thing to no man."
"Indeed," replied the priest, "I cannot choose but tell this story. For
if I keep this money in my poor hut, it will be stolen by thieves: I
must either give it to some one to keep for me, or else at once offer it
up at the temple. And when I do this, when people see a poor old priest
with a sum of money quite unsuited to his station, they will think it
very suspicious, and I shall have to tell the tale as it occurred; but I
shall say that the badger that gave me the money has ceased coming to my
hut, you need not fear being waylaid, but can come, as of old, and
shelter yourself from the cold.
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