A badger, a fox, and her cub live in a forest. The other animals had all been killed by hunters, leaving the foxes and the badger alone and afraid to venture far from their dens. They’re starving when the badger suggests that he pretends to play dead while the mother fox makes herself into a human and sells him in town, using the money to buy them food. The badger demands that the foxes wait to eat until he returns and the next week the fox would be the one to play dead. The mother fox agrees, telling her cub to be quiet and safe while she’s gone. She changes herself into a woodcutter and takes the badger into town, selling it for a fair price. She buys fish, tofu, and vegetables before returning to the forest and waiting for the badger to return, despite the cub’s hunger. Eventually the badger returns, berating the fox for not selling him at a higher price and taking the best parts of the food for himself. Once the food is gone and the animals are hungry again, the badger tells the fox it’s her “turn to die.” the fox plays dead and the badger changes himself into a hunter. In town he sells her for a good price, but he tells the human that the fox is pretending to be dead and to not let her run away. The human kills her, and the badger spends all the money on himself, saving no food for the hungry, devastated fox cub. The fox cub realizes his mother’s death is the badger’s fault, and plans a way to punish the badger. Concealing his anger, the fox cub challenges the badger to a competition of who can be more convincingly human, saying they would disguise themselves and go into town, and whoever finds the other first would win. The badger agrees, but instead of changing himself like he said, the fox cub instead hides behind a tree. A daimyō and his procession of servants and guards crosses the bridge into town, and the badger rushes to the daimyō, shouting about his victory. The daimyō orders his retainers to kill the badger, and as he cuts off the badger’s head, the fox cub watches from behind the tree, laughing.

This printing has a back catalog with volumes 1 through 20.