In the great forest, there are many kinds of animals, but have you ever seen a fox? No? I will share with you the tale of why there are no more foxes in the great forest.
Once upon a time, in the deepest part of the great forest amongst the ancient wood, there lived a fox. The fox would run from stump to bramble and leap from rock to branch almost as fast as the eye could follow. The other animals who resided there would challenge the fox to contests of agility and speed, for to be the quickest and the surest was to be the most respected and praised of all creatures.
One day, the stag challenged the fox to a foot race from the gilded meadow to the still-ripple pond. All the other beasts, big and small, gathered to watch the event, as the fox and the stag stood poised amongst the wash of golden grass. The songbird tweeted the signal to begin, and they were both were off and running. The stag’s long stride proved a significant advantage, and all the animals saw him take an early lead, though the fox raced swiftly behind. Suddenly, the fox ducked into a burrow in the ground.
As the stag leaped, clearing a large fallen tree, the still-ripple pond came into view, and sitting quietly by its side was the fox. Well, the stag was so surprised, it stumbled and fell right into the water. The animals cheered as they crowned the fox the faster of the two. The stag remained stunned for quite some time and pondered how it was that the fox, whom he had thought ran far behind him, had come to be sitting so peacefully by the pond.
The owl spoke next and praised the fox’s speed and cunning. But she wondered if he could best her in a race from the foot of the bald mountain to the top of the hollow oak? Surely, without wings, the swift fox could not manage it? But the fox shook his head and disagreed. He claimed he could beat the owl, even with her shining wings. The owl laughed and made ready, but the fox said that he was tired after his match with the stag. Would it truly be a fair race if he was exhausted and she fresh? Of course not, agreed the owl, and they set the contest for the next day.
As the sun crested the peaks, all the animals gathered at the rock-strewn foot of the bald mountain. The howl of the wolf signaled the start of the race, and the fox zoomed away as the owl took flight. Now, the owl was not as swift as the stag had been, but she was indeed fast, and with her wings, she would simply land at the top of the hollow oak while the fox would have to climb up from the ground. High in the air, she could see the fox neck and neck with her, until he dove underground. The owl thought this silly, for how could he beat her now? The under-paths were maze-like and tight in many places. Soon the owl spotted the hollow oak.
Tucking in her wings, she went into a rapid dive, not taking any chances with the speedy fox. Still, just before she landed, the fox poked its red head out from the top of the open trunk and stepped out onto the highest branch. The owl came to rest, huffing and puffing, while the fox breathed easy, looking more like he’d just awakened from a nap. Below, another cheer went out, for the fox had outflown the owl. There’s none swifter than the fox, they exclaimed.
The otter had watched the match closely and made the next challenge. A race from the base of the cold-splashing falls down the crooked river and across the shimmering lake. Surely the fox could not run faster than the otter could swim? As before, the fox accepted the wager but claimed to be far too tired to run again this day. It would have to wait until tomorrow.
The following day, at the bottom of the cold-splashing waterfall, everyone waited as the racers lined up on the mist-slick rocks. The mighty roar of the bear let the animals know the contest had begun, and the two leaped off. Adeptly, the otter swam, with the current adding to his speed. How could the fox win, for he must navigate the winding edges of the crooked river, then run all the way around the shimmering lake? Meanwhile, the otter would simply ride the water’s direct flow straight to the finish line. However, as the otter reached the other shore, there sat the fox, grooming itself on a rock in the shade. The otter couldn’t believe it! It was impossible, but the fox had run faster than he could swim!
As all the animals cheered, the otter looked to the stag and owl, asking if they had seen the fox run the race. They both said yes, but claimed they had lost sight of him after he went down into a burrow in the ground, just as he had done during each of their races. Something wasn’t quite right, but they couldn’t figure it out. How could going underground give the fox such an advantage?
The stag, otter, and owl conferred, while the rest of the woodland creatures carried the fox over their heads into the forest. They would find out, once and for all, how this fox always beat them. A theory developed, and soon so did a plan. There would be one more race, convincing one of the other animals wouldn’t be too hard, but they needed the help of a non-racer for their idea to work.
That evening they approached the fox one last time and issue the challenge. The challenger would be the rabbit. The race would be from the mouth to the wind-swept canyon, across the stone-strewn field, where a rockslide came to rest many years ago, and finish at the edge of the bubbling swamp. Per usual, the fox agreed to the race but claimed to be thoroughly exhausted and needed to wait until the next day, especially for such a long course.
With the break of day, all the animals in the entire forest arrived for the big race. The deafening crack of two mountain goats ramming their horns together signaled the start of the race. Both rabbit and fox took off at incredible speeds. However, it was at this moment that the secret plan came into effect. You see, the stag, otter, and owl had discussed things with their friend the skunk, and just as the fox and rabbit came off the starting line, the skunk doused them in its distinctive scent. Neither animal slowed, As the racers reached the stone-strewn field, they both disappeared between the various haphazardly stacked boulders.
The remaining animals ran to catch the two and see who would be the winner. The old badger waited at the finish line to judge the contest. From one of the stone cracks came the fox, who seemed not at all out of breath. He sprinted the rest of the way and slid to a stop near the old badger. A few moments later, the rabbit appeared, panting and hopping as fast as she could. When she reached the finish line, the skunk’s perfume still emanated from her coat. Shortly thereafter, the rest of the woodland creatures arrived at the edge of the bubbling swamp, and the badger declared the fox, once again, the winner.
However, before the cheers could go up, the stag interrupted. He gave the rabbit and the fox a good once-over with his nose. The fox smelled as clean as morning dew. Everyone had seen and had a whiff of the skunk’s spray; as it doused both racers. It certainly was odd that suddenly the fox smelt as fresh as the first day of spring. When questioned, the fox protested, claiming the odor had simply missed him. That’s when the mouse, with his keen nose, detected the skunk's odor still wafting quite strongly from the field of stones. The mouse went on the hunt, with the rest of the animals close behind. Those small enough joined the mouse in the tunnels under the rocks.
Moments later, the animals dragged a struggling and skunk-stinking fox out from under the earth and tossed him next to his identical twin. All those gathered stood in shock for almost a full minute, then they growled, hissed, cawed, and snarled. They accused the foxes of deception and cheating as they hurled insults. The foxes attempted to explain, but there was little to say, as wronged racers had caught them cleanly. The forest critters, in their anger, chased the foxes back across the stone-strewn field, along the foot of the bald mountain, past the shimmering lake and cold-splashing waterfall, through the gilded meadow, past the still-ripple pond and the hollow oak. They ran the foxes right out of the great forest and vowed never to trust their clever kind ever again.
And that is why you never see any foxes in the great forest to this very day.
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