Heikichi's frequent disappearances led to rumors among the villagers of his being "Kitsune-tsuki", that he was possessed by an evil fox spirit. His worried father consulted with the neighbors as to what to do for him, and they decided to smoke the fox out of him. They bound Heikichi and made him to stand in the center of the yard, then piled green grass and wood around him to smoke out the fox, but their efforts were in vain. Even after several attempts to smoke out the fox spirit, Heikichi's behavior didn't change.

One winter day, Heikichi was standing idly in the yard when his impatient father suddenly threw him into the pond in the yard. He had hoped the shock would drive out the fox spirit. This upset Heikichi's mother, who came running out of the house. When the soaking wet Heikichi came out of the pool, she took him back into the house to change his wet clothes.

His father, however, simply became more angry, yelling, "Heikichi! You don't know that the people of the village are laughing at you. You don't go to school and spend every day doing nothing. Shame on you! You talk about God! What God? Has this God showed us any superhuman feats? If you are living with God, show me what this God is doing. I think there is no God. I think you are possessed by a fox spirit that I will drive out of you no matter what it takes!"