:27:00
However, the thing that gave
the tanuki a boost of courage was...
:27:03
...hearing interviews with
the locals, who were fearful of curses.
:27:07
``Maybe it wasn't such a great idea
to tear down the Suwa Temple.''
:27:12
``What do you mean?''
:27:14
``It must be the curse.
The temple god was punishing them.''
:27:19
``If I remember, many jizo
and local deity statues were removed.''
:27:23
``Well, we made offerings
and had a priest...
:27:25
``...give blessings before asking
the statues if we could move them.''
:27:30
``And what do you
say to this, Mizuki-sensei?''
:27:33
``Those gods and Buddha
are the deities of this area.''
:27:39
``When you move their statues, they
return and find their shelters missing.''
:27:46
``It is not surprising that they are angry.''
:27:49
``Wouldn't YOU expect
more curses and punishments?''
:27:55
Maybe they won't
dig up Hikage Mountain.
:28:01
Shoukichi and the others
commenced the next operation.
:28:11
The absentee landlord
of Hikage Mountain,...
:28:13
...who returned with
the lumber contractors muttered,...
:28:17
``Did we have this many o-jizo statues
on my mountain?'' and shook his head.
:28:22
And then he said, ``Maybe I should wait
and postpone signing the contract.''
:28:27
Kumataro, the tanuki who stayed
in the temple in Umanose Mountain,...
:28:31
...disguised himself as a white fox
from a well-known local legend...
:28:35
...during one of the ritual prayers
to move the statues.
:28:42
The voice of the white fox, which resembled a scream,...
:28:44
...overwhelmed the hired priest
and the ceremony was canceled.
:28:48
The parishioner
petitioned the authorities...
:28:52
...to reconsider moving
the statues and the road project.
:28:57
The tanuki really poured it on.