Three young novices, pupils of the priest, who were at study in the next room, heard the noise; and, when one of them peeped through the sliding doors, what was his astonishment to see the Tea-kettle on four feet dancing up and down the room!
He cried out: “Oh! what a wonderful thing! The Tea-kettle is changed into a badger!”
“What!” said the second novice. “Do you mean to say that the Tea-kettle is turned into a badger? What nonsense!” So saying, he pushed his companion to one side and peeped in, but he also was terrified by what he saw, and screamed: “It’s a goblin! It’s coming at us; let us run away!”
The third novice was not so easily frightened.
“Come, this is rather fun,” said he; “how the creature does jump, to be sure! I will rouse the master, and let him see, too.”
So he went into the room and shook the priest, crying: “Wake! Master, wake! A strange thing has happened.”
“What’s the matter?” said the old man, drowsily rubbing his eyes, “what a noisy fellow you are!”
“Any one would be noisy when such a strange thing as this is going on,” said the novice. “Only look, master, your Tea-kettle has got feet, and is running about.”
“What! what! what! What’s that you say?” asked the priest again. “The kettle got feet! What’s this! Let me see!”
But by the time the old man was thoroughly roused, the Tea-kettle had turned into its ordinary shape, and stood quietly on its box again.