The Fable of the Stray Fox

The Fable of the Stray Fox

Just like people the animals hold their own societies, but whilst we elect to live in houses within or outside of cities the animals choose to remain outside all together. Take the fox, perhaps the most cunning and certainly among the dangerous of all animals to roam the woods. The foxes reigned proud in the centre of the woods, kings and queens among the animals there, feared and respected by all who wasn't a fox.

However like the societies of man, the foxes were capable of being unjust and cruel. In the coven of the foxes was born a youngling, he wasn't a runt nor was he a high ranking male but yet he was spurned by all whom was a fox. He wasn't sure why, he didn't feel too different from all the others. He walked like they did and acted like they did yet no matter what his endeavours it only got him shame from his parents and hatred from the coven. So the young fox grew to be alone.

The years and the foxes were unkind to the young fox, he learned to accept and adapt to this, and he found strength in solace and comfort in being alone. He still didn't know why they didn't care for him, perhaps this was just the way things were, things didn't have to be fair and it appeared there wasn't always a reason creatures needed to be cruel.

Time came for the foxes to mate, the young fox had grown hardened from the cruelty and accepted he wouldn't find a mate so made no attempt to woo or flirt. Through the years the other vixens had offered him no kindness so he expected none now, but to his surprise one approached him offering such. Confused but accepting in hope for finding someone, the young fox felt joy.

With the foxes there is often competition for the females, the young fox expected this and was prepared for the jealous alpha. However hope gave the young fox strength, he outmanoeuvred the alpha and with a flash of his claws he had his rival on the ground. Then reality came down and crushed the poor fox's spirit, the vixen had been using him to rouse the alpha and looked upon the young fox not with kindness but with fear and scorn. Hope had served to break the young fox's heart and the joy had left as quickly as it came.

He would not be banished, that would give the coven a sense of satisfaction. So he left them as final insult against the coven. Now the young fox had become the stray fox, respected by no one but feared by all who was a fox.

The stray fox survived and adapted to being on his own, he hunted alone and with stealth. Whilst out for food he heard the cries of a lost duckling, upon seeing the fox the duckling felt its hour had come, its end would serve to satisfy the fox's hunger. The stray fox did no such thing; he picked the duckling up and took it back to its family. Dismayed and confused the duckling was stunned, no time to show gratitude as the stray fox had already retreated back into the woods.

The years passed again, and the stray fox survived alone but whenever he happened upon a lost animal, be it predator or prey it mattered not to him for he would guide it back to its family and leave without hesitation. Alone did the stray fox live and alone did the stay fox die. But on the day of his death did all the once lost animals, saved by the stray fox, come to mourn the passing of their guardian.

Never would they forget the legend of the stray fox, feared by none but respected and loved by every animal that wasn't a fox. For whilst any creature may endure a life without any kindness whatsoever, they are more than capable of showing it themselves.