[Original Folktale] 'The Fox and the Ground Cherry's Spring' (Please do not believe this etymology)

Once upon a time, there was a place that was 'spring' even in winter. It was a 'spring' warmed by foxfire.
Every single day, the foxes would sweat and toil, busily creating foxfire.

The reason the foxes went to such lengths to create spring was for a girl they had rescued from the land of the ogres.

When they stole her away from the ogres' eyes, the girl had a very red face and a terrible fever.
For the sake of the frail girl, just two foxes were creating spring in the place where she stayed.

Because of her bright red cheeks, the foxes named the girl 'Hozuki' (Ground Cherry) and cherished her.

But there was a limit to how long they could keep the foxfire burning. It was truly too much for just two of them.
It happened around the time Hozuki became able to walk and run freely.

The foxes decided they would take Hozuki to the 'real spring'.
From that day on, the foxes searched desperately for 'spring.' And at long last, they found it.

One of the foxes took the form of an old woman and said this:

'Hozuki, dear. Ogres are going to come here, so I think we should move.'

That was a lie, but the fox felt it couldn't be helped if it meant protecting Hozuki.

'Ogres are coming? How scary!'

Hozuki did not remember being captured by ogres before, but she had been taught by the foxes that 'ogres are scary.'

'It will be alright. Here, take this rabbit. The rabbit will lead you to spring.'

'Is that so? Old woman.'
'Yes. That is why April is the month of the rabbit, written as 'Uzuki', isn't it?'
'I see!'

'I have asked a fox to guide the way, so walk along the path of the foxfire.'
'What about you, old woman?'
'I will follow you soon.'

One fox created the fire, and the other, a white fox, walked along with Hozuki. The fox walked while keeping an eye on what was in front and behind.

That white fox was the same one that had been in the form of an old woman just a moment ago.
It was keeping watch to protect Hozuki.

And so, Hozuki arrived safely in spring and felt relieved, but it turned out to be the very land of the ogres from which she had been rescued.

Noticing this, the foxes created a labyrinth so that no one could ever reach this place.

They thought that if they did this, the ogres would not be able to enter either.

And so, the foxes were able to live in peace with the ground cherry.

At that time, the ogre was searching for spring.
Getting lost again and again in the labyrinth the foxes had created.

'Where have you gone! My daughter! My daughter who was kidnapped by the foxes!'

That was the truth.
The ground cherry was the ogre's daughter.
The reason her cheeks were red was because she was the daughter of a red ogre.
The fever she had was like a teething fever before her horns began to grow.

'The ogre's child is inside the spring the foxes created'
The ogre had heard such rumors and was searching for spring.

When the ogre was searching for spring, the foxes inside the spring were surprised.
Horns had begun to grow from the ground cherry's head.
The ground cherry remembered who she was.
The foxes also realized everything.

'To think that the ground cherry was an ogre's child'
'If we are found by the ogre, we might be eaten'
'But, if the ground cherry will be happy...'
'...That's right. Let's return the ground cherry to her real parent'

The foxes undid the labyrinth.

Immediately, the ogre found spring and embraced the ground cherry.

The ogre glared at the foxes.
The foxes were terrified.

'Grandma, you were a fox, weren't you? I was being lied to, wasn't I?'

'Ground cherry, that is...'

The fox made a sad face.
It was a misunderstanding, but it was a lie told for the sake of the ground cherry.
They didn't mind being eaten by the ogre.
But being misunderstood by the ground cherry was more painful to the foxes than death.

THUD!!

At that moment, the ground cherry stomped her foot on the ground.

If we are to be struck by the ground cherry...

The foxes thought this and closed their eyes.

The smile of a ground cherry floats before the foxes' eyes.
The happy days come back to them.

The ground cherry spread its hands out in front of the ogre.
It looked as if it were protecting the foxes.

"The foxes protected me!"
They nursed the ground cherry when it had a fever without sleeping, and brought it food every day.
It was thanks to the foxes that the ground cherry was able to live comfortably.

"Ground cherry..."

Warm tears spilled from the foxes' eyes.

"We are sorry for assuming you were a captured child."

When the foxes apologized sincerely, the ogre not only forgave them but also thanked them.

"Thank you for being so good to my daughter."

The ogre was moved by the foxes' hearts and shed tears.

And so, everyone returned to their own lives in harmony.
The ground cherry began to visit the foxes' home to play from time to time, and the ogre and the foxes lived happily ever after.

And they lived happily ever after.

It is said that the word 'hozuki' (ground cherry) comes from the foxfire lights that illuminated the way home for the ogre's child, and that the proverb 'even an ogre has tears' also comes from this story.
It is also said that because the ogre went looking for spring, the 'Setsubun' tradition where ogres appear on the day before the beginning of spring began to be held in various places.
Regions that shout 'Ogre inside!' while throwing beans might just be places where 'spring' once existed.

The End

Mikan Katagiri-san, sorry for posting every day💦
I thought of this, so I'd like to participate again🙇‍♀️

🍊44th Three Prompts (Japanese Folktale)
🎈Prompt 1: 'The way home guided by foxfire'
🐾Prompt 2: 'The ogre who came to look for spring'
⏳Prompt 3: 'The ending of a kind lie'

I used all the Japanese folktale prompts plus the image to create a new folktale!

Caution⚠️
Everything, including the etymology, is fictional, so please don't read this and think 'I see' or be convinced by it♪
It is all a 'kind lie'.

Oh! It connects to topic #3! 🤣

Thank you for your support. 🙇

#ImaginationSparkedBy3Topics