"This is a pretty way of insulting people's daughters. The girl is our daughter, and there's no mistake about it. How dare you invent such lies?"
"Well," said Tokutarô, "you are quite right to say so; but still there is no doubt that this is a case of witchcraft."
Seeing how obstinately he held to his opinion, the old folks were sorely perplexed, and said—
"What do you think of doing?"
"Pray leave the matter to me: I'll soon strip the false skin off, and show the beast to you in its true colours. Do you two go into the store-closet, and wait there."
With this he went into the kitchen, and, seizing the girl by the back of the neck, forced her down by the hearth.
"Oh! Master Tokutarô, what means this brutal violence? Mother! father! help!"
So the girl cried and screamed; but Tokutarô only laughed, and said—
"So you thought to bewitch me, did you? From the moment you jumped into the wood, I was on the look-out for you to play me some trick. I'll soon make you show what you really are;" and as he said this, he twisted her two hands behind her back, and trod upon her, and tortured her; but she only wept, and cried—
"Oh! it hurts, it hurts!"