They went to where the god was, and said, "Would you please decide right away what we should eat? We beg of you! We beg of you!"
The cow and the horse, the mouse and the tanuki, the fox, the wolf-- they all said such things, and then the birds, the fish, even the insects petitioned the god.
And so the god said, "I'll decide on food tomorrow morning, so everyone gather together then."
All the animals were really happy, and could hardly wait for dawn to come. Then they streamed in great numbers to where the god was.
Among the animals was a snake. This snake was so hungry that he was crawling very sluggishly through the dirt. A frog came bouncing along behind-- he caught up with the snake and said, "Hebi-kun. Why are you going along so slowly? Can't you walk a little more vigorously?"
The snake said, "No, I'm so hungry that I can't walk at all, fast or slow. It's all I can do to crawl along in the dirt like a baby. Since you're feeling so good, please go on ahead."
The frog laughed and said, "Fine. If that's the case, you can come along behind and lick my butt!" And he bounced on ahead.
Well, when the animals were all gathered before the god, they were all called in order.
"Cow and horse, you eat grass. Dog and cat, you get people to feed you. Mole, you search through the dirt and live on the bugs that you find."
Food for all was decided in that way, one by one. Finally the frog came forward. The god said, "you eat bugs."
The frog was very happy. He bobbed his head before the god and said, "Thank you very much." He was about to hop away when the god stopped him.
"Wait up. You harrassed the snake on your way here, didn't you? Apparently you said he should lick your butt. Since you want the snake to taste your butt, that is my will."
The frog was shocked. "Oh, god," he said, "please, forgive me this once!"
But even though the frog apologized, once a god has made a decision, it cannot be changed. And so, even now, when a snake discovers a frog, the snake will always swallow the frog back end first.