悲しい(かなしい)結末(けつまつ)ではなく、江戸の(えどの)庶民の(しょみんの)知恵と(ちえと)たくましさとして明るく(あかるく)肯定的に(こうていてきに)描かれた

Yaji-san and Kita-san plotted to use their brains to trick others, only to be tricked in turn by traveling merchants or smart girls at the inns and lose their money, repeating exchanges of trickery. In contrast to Kenji Miyazawa depicting the sad ending of egoism in 'The Spider, the Slug, and the Raccoon Dog,' here it is drawn crisply, brightly, and positively as the wit and resilience of Edo commoners.