Thinking it was the priest, Zuiten went out to see, but there was no one there. A little later, he heard "Zuiten! Zuiten!" again.
Thinking it was a visitor, he went out to see, but again there was no one there.
This happened a number of times, and Zuiten was always fooled. Then he realized that the fox would come to the kitchen door and brush his tail against it to make a "zui" sound. Then he would quickly turn and strike his head against the door to make a "ten" sound.
And so, one day Zuiten hid behind the door. The fox came and brushed his tail across the door for a "zui," but the door opened before he could tap a "ten." The fox thrust his head where the door had been, and tumbled inside. Zuiten quickly shut the door.
"You can't escape now!" he cried, and chased after the fox with a club. The fox fled from the kitchen into the main sanctuary. The sanctuary was a part of the temple where a buddha called Honzon-sama was worshipped. The fox ran over to where the statue of Honzon-sama stood, and changed himself to look just like it. Now there were two identical Honzons there. One was the real statue, and one was the fox transformed into Honzon-sama.
They looked just the same. When he saw that, Zuiten said, "Ah, Honzon-sama has become twins, and I don't know which is which! But our Honzon-sama always sticks his tongue out when I chant a sutra, so I should be able to tell that way."
Then Zuiten started chanting a sutra and tapping time on the wooden fish. Sure enough, the fox transformed into Honzon-sama stuck his long, floppy tongue out.
Seeing that, Zuiten said, "And then I give our Honzon-sama dinner in the tea room. Please come along, just like always"
Zuiten went into the tea room, and the fox Honzon-sama walked along behind him. This time Zuiten said, "Oh, that's right! Before dinner we always have a bath."
He took the lid off the big kettle in the outer kitchen, and placed the fox Honzon-sama inside. Then he pushed the lid firmly in place and cried, "Now then, will you keep saying 'Zuiten' or will you stop? If you keep on, I'll light the fire and make you into soup!"
The fox was shocked. As he struggled within the kettle, he said, "I won't say it! I won't say it! I certainly won't say it, so please forgive me this one time!"
This happened in a mountain temple many, many years ago.