This is one of the oldest surviving tales about the shape-shifting fox, and it is said that this story tells where the word "Kitsune" came from.
There lived a man named Ono. He fell in love with a very beautiful lady he met at a vast moor, and soon they became lovers. He married her a year later, and they lived a happy life.
Years later, his beautiful wife gave birth to their son, simultaneously, their dog also gave birth to a pup.
As the pup grew up, it always barked and growled at Ono's wife. She always avoided the pup (now a dog), and became very tensed when it's around.
One day, it suddenly attacked her violently. She ran and ran and when she got cornered, she had no choice, but to reveal her true form, which was a fox-like creature, in an attempt to scare to dog away.
When she saw that her husband saw her transform, she panicked and leaped over the fence and tried to flee. As she was escaping, Ono called out to her,
"You might be a fox, but I still love you! My heart will always be yours. I still want you to stay with me forever. Whenever you want to come back home, your will always be welcome."
That night, and every night after that, she came home to her husband and child. She slept in his arms, and they continued to live happily ever after.
♡｡ﾟ.(*♡´‿' 人´‿' ♡*)ﾟ♡ °・
From that day onward, the fox was called "kitsune",
because kitsu-ne means come and sleep, and ki-tsune means always.
