The Tale of Two Foxes
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Long ago, in a forest in a far away land, there lived two special foxes; a white fox named Tao, and a black fox named Mao.
Together, they played and danced as they enjoyed the summer sun.
However, a cold wind began to breeze, and the older fox, Mao, knew it was time to go south and prepare for winter.
Mao called to his friend Tao "Come Tao, it's time to go."
Tao was reluctant, still not ready to leave and start the dangerous journey to find safety from the cruel winter to come. Instead, Tao played in the dirt as his snow white fur became grey.
Mao knew of the dangers ahead and instructed Tao, "Come. We must gather food for the winter. Without food, we will starve."
Tao said "But we never starve brother! You always get food for me, because you are strong."
Mao replied, "Strong or not, I will not leave you behind."
Mao grabbed Tao with his jaws and pulled him off the ground through the dirt. “Oh man, alright. I guess I’ll go” Tao whined.
The two foxes began their journey south, looking for food along the way. They strolled through the forest day and night as they hunted for hare, squirrels, and mice. Mao was strong, fast, and tough, and thus outpaced the quiet and shy Tao. On the other hand, Tao could only survive off the food Mao could catch.
"You are so strong Mao. I wish I could be like you" Tao said.
"You must hunt like me if you want to survive" Mao replied.
The foxes arrived at a wide river, 100 feet across. The cold autumn breeze began to blow even more furiously against the surface of the raging river. Tao looked in amazement of the river’s power. “How could I ever hope to get across that?” he wondered.
Mao, with no hesitation, jumped into the raging river and began to swim to the other side, leaving Tao behind. “Come on Tao,” he said, “cross the river with me.”
Tao fearfully replied “What? No way! I can’t do that! I’m too weak!”
“Don’t be afraid. Just jump! Don’t think about it!” Mao said as he bravely crossed the raging waters. Mao continued "You will die if you don’t. Either way, you must become strong to survive.”
Tao understood Mao’s words, but was still petrified to cross the raging waters. He entered the water and felt the cold against his white fur. However, as he approached the center of the river, the current began to grow and grow until it carried him away. He called for his brother “Mao! Mao! Help me!”
“You must be strong to survive Tao!” Mao yelled to him.
Tao tried to pedal faster, but it was no use. He was carried far down the river to a waterfall and fell hopelessly off the edge.
Tao managed to survive the fall off of luck, but he still got wet and began to freeze even more than before.
At the side of the river, Tao began to think he was lost. He was shivering and afraid, but Mao finally arrived to greet him. Together, the two foxes continued their journey through the forest.
Close to their southern hunting ground, the two foxes discovered another family of red foxes, who looked frightened at them. Mao approached the family in concern.
"What is wrong my brothers and sisters? Did something happen?” Mao asked the family. The mother, Illini replied “A bear has invaded our land and taken all of our food. At this rate, we won’t have anything left to eat for winter.”
Mao, proudly determined to face the bear, stoically asked “Where is this bear?”
Illini took Mao the bear’s sleeping ground, where a big scary grizzly lay fast asleep underneath the entrance to a cave. Tao looked beside Mao in horror. “Look at the size of him! He’s enormous!” Tao said. “Are you really gonna face that thing alone?”
Mao said “Of course not. I may be strong for a fox, but I am nothing compared to the might of a grizzly. That’s why I will need your help Tao. I need you to be the bait for a trap.”
“What? Are you crazy? What if it kills me?” Tao replied in fear.
“It won’t kill you if you are strong” Mao said with a grin.
Photo by Dušan veverkolog on Unsplash
Photo by Dušan veverkolog on Unsplash
Night fell upon the land as full moon rose in the sky, illuminating the forest in blue light. Tao, with fur white as snow, approached the mighty grizzly with caution. He snuck into his cave and managed to sneak away with big slab of meat. But as he went back for more, the bear caught a whiff of his scent from his fur and awoke from his slumber.
“GRR! Who dare awaken me from my slumber!” the bear growled.
Tao was terrified, and in response, ran away with the stolen meat hanging in his mouth! The bear chased him, roaring at the small white fox with rage. Tao tried to retreat, but the bear was too fast! KAPOWW! The bear slashes Tao right in the back!
Tao, on the brink of defeat lay just at the edge of the cliff leading down into a dark gorge. But before the bear could strike the final blow, Mao rushes to defend Tao and strikes the bear down off the cliff. The bear fell to his doom, never to be seen again.
The sun began to rise as the forest had been freed from the tyranny of the mighty grizzly. Mao's courage had won over the family of foxes, including Illini.
“Oh Mao, you were so brave! Please stay with us! I’m just a poor little red fox. Will you protect me and my family?” Illini asked.
“It would be my honor” Mao replied.
As Mao made his promises to Illini, Tao, weakened and broken, approached Mao and asked for help. “Please Mao, help me. I was struck by the bear. I can barely move.”
Mao replied “If you were stronger and faster like me, you would have escaped the grizzly before reaching the cliff. It was your fault you got hurt. Now you must face the consequences of being weak. Only then will you learn to get strong.”
Tao was saddened by Mao’s hurtful words. Knowing he was right, Tao retreated to the now empty cave to rest and heal.
Weeks passed by in a flash as the seasons began to turn from summer to fall. As the wind whistled through the forest, Tao, with his wounds now healed, now found himself happier than ever sharing his newfound home in the old bear cave with Mao’s new family of foxes. Illini tended to his needs and helped him recover. She played with him, danced with him, and enjoyed the seasons changing as they rolled down the hills into piles of red leaves. Tao had become quite fond of Mao’s new wife Illini as the two shared a lot in common.
However, Mao saw Tao had become too comfortable with his wife, and promptly decided to challenge him. “Come outside Tao, it’s time we had a talk” Mao said seriously.
Tao didn’t think much of Mao’s reply. “Are we going to play?” Tao asked. Mao nodded.
Together, they walked out of the warm cozy cave into the cold wilderness of the deep forest. Mao turned to Tao and said “I am sorry Tao, but there is not much food left for us here. I need you to go find more food on your own. I can no longer let you stay here with us.”
“What? Why not? I thought you were going to protect me?” Tao asked.
“I have a family to attend to now. I don’t have time to be your caretaker. And besides, you were always slowing me down. You are too weak Tao. You are nothing more than a burden to me and I don’t need you anymore. It’s time you learned how to survive on your own, like a true fox” Mao explained.
“What? How could you say such things brother! You promised to protect me!” Tao cried.
“I can’t protect you from yourself!” Mao exclaimed. “I gave you a chance to become a strong, and yet you failed anyway. If you won’t leave this place so that my family can survive, then I will make you leave!” Mao growled.
Tao was heartbroken, torn apart that his own brother would say such things to him. Enraged, he attacked Mao with ferocity, but Mao was too strong for him. The noise of their fight awoke the sleeping foxes in the cave, and Illini stepped out from the cave with her children to watch as the two foxes fought.
Long they battled as Tao fought desperately against his stronger sibling. But Mao was too powerful and too battle-hardened by the cruel world of the forest. He struck Tao down, opening the wound left by the bear as the blood turned Tao's snow white fur red. Tao cried as Mao said to him “Leave this place, and never return.” Mao stood his ground against Tao, as Tao, now weaker than ever, limped his broken and battered body across the dirty ground deep into the gloomy forest, leaving Mao and his family behind.
As night fell, Tao limped his way to find a hole in a tree. He crawled in and tucked himself beneath the dirt and dead leaves, and shivered and cried.
“Mao was right. I am weak! I am so weak, I can’t even defend myself. How can a fox like me survive without getting stronger? I must become stronger!” he cried.
The next day, Tao began to roam for food. With a hunger shining in his eyes, he began to hunt for hare, squirrels and other small animals. He began to do things he never could have done before. Frustrated by his weakness, the cold autumn wind merely numbed him to the cruel forest. Vengeful against Mao for betraying him, his need to survive pushed him. He struggled though the hard winter months, scouting for food and constantly moving from place to place, hungry for more.
One day on his evening hunt, he stubbled upon a farmhouse with a burning fireplace as the smell of meat filled the air. Tao knew the danger of going ahead into the house to get food, but his hunger was great and his resolve even greater. He waited for the night to fall as he prepared to enter into the farmhouse.
As night fell, Tao snuck into the farmhouse via an open window and began to feast. However, he then looked up to see the head of a deer hanging on the wall. The sight scared him as he knocked over a dish left over from the party. Tao realized then, almost too late, that the home he had invaded was home to hunters!
Suddenly, a hound appeared in front of a terrified Tao and barked furiously! Tao ran away as the hound chased him through the house and out the window from which he came. The hound barked as the hunters awoke from their slumber and ran downstairs in a hurry.
As the hunters came downstairs, a glimmer of white fur caught their eyes by the window Tao had escaped through. The hunters saw the elegance of Tao's beautiful white fur and boldly declared that they were going hunting.
Tao ran back to Mao in a flash as he called "Brother! Brother! Come quick! The hunters are coming! The hunters are coming!"
Mao and Illini awoke in the middle of the night as Mao faced off against Tao once again after 2 months of no contact.
"What are you doing here Tao! I told you that I would not help you again" Mao growled.
"Mao! The hunters are coming for us! If we don't leave, we could be next!" Tao exclaimed.
"Ha! Nice trick Tao. Why should I believe you?" Mao said.
"You have to believe me! I'm warning you Mao, those hunters will kill you!" Tao exclaimed. Mao was unimpressed and fearless as he showed Tao his resolve.
"Those hunters will not cause us any harm. If you had been strong and faced the hunters like a true fox, then they wouldn't be after you." Mao explained. "If they come for us, I will defend the cave because I am strong, brave, and I will never run away from a fight."
Seeing it was hopeless to change Mao's stubbornness, Tao's face changed to that of cold distain. "Brother, you are a fool if you think you can protect yourself from the humans."
"Then I guess we will see, brother," Mao said coldly. Tao left Mao and Illini behind and continued to run through the cold forest of the night.
A storm began to gather over the forest. Dark clouds formed in the distance over the thin air, covering the mid afternoon sky. The hunters entered the darkening forest with shotguns and arrows in hand, dressed in heavy, thick hunting camouflage. The woods fell into darkness below the clouds as the hunters hiked quietly through the foxes territory, creating tracks of dirt. The sound of whistling wind disguised the hunters' movements, as they moved like owls in the air. They soon found tracks of Tao and followed them.
They hiked through the forest, until finally, they reached the cave where Mao and his family were hiding. Suddenly, a silence fell over the forest as they approached Mao's fox cave.
Mao had prepared a trap against the hunters, preparing to roll a boulder overlooking a hill straight towards them. As they approached the cave to see what was inside, Mao pushed the boulder towards the hunters!
Suddenly, a gunshot rang throughout the still air, ringing for miles as the forest awoke to the sounds of fighting. Tao heard the ringing and howled into the whistling wind towards his brother.
The hunters heard the howls of Tao in the near distance and thought he was a wolf. Meanwhile, Mao, with ferocity, attacked the uncoordinated hunters while they were distracted. Using the darkness as a cloak, Mao began to bite and claw the humans one by one, but the hound that was with them returned to defend his master and shoved Mao to the ground.
Tao, in the distance, rolled around on the dirty ground to cover his fur. Tao, whose fur was once snow white had now become grey and transformed the once elegant fox into that of a wolf.
Tao waited near the edge of the forest, where he and Mao first met. Tao howled into the forest under the dark stormy clouds, calling for the animals of the forest to join him.
Meanwhile, Mao fled the scene seeing how he could not overcome the humans' might. Mao was knocked over as the lead hunter aimed at him. Mao ran in fear as the humans fired at him. Bang, bang, bang! Each shot, narrowly missing, but getting closer each time.
Suddenly, Mao heard a call through the forest and recognizes the howls as his brother’s. He ran and ran, but the humans gave chase.
BANG! A stray bullet rocketed through Mao, knocking him over. Losing his strength fast, Mao was unable to move any further. The hunter approached and stood above Mao then, his shadow looming over Mao like the spirit of death. As the hunter prepared to land the finishing blow, Tao suddenly appeared before the hunters.
The hunters stood in awe, terrified of what they saw. Mao couldn’t recognize his own kind, for Tao’s size and stature looked like that of a wolf. Tao’s red eyes glowed angrily as the hunter backed away terrified. Suddenly, the hunters saw a sight that terrified them even more, for they had been surrounded on all sides by wolves! The hunters stood with backs together. Then, Tao spoke to the humans.
“Hunters of the forest. You have trespassed upon our sacred land. If you wish to walk away alive, leave this place, and never return or suffer the consequences.”
The humans shivered in fear, for they had never heard a talking animal before.
“Who are you?” the lead hunter exclaimed.
“I am the strong” Tao said.
The wolves began to slowly close in on the hunters. The lead hunter tried to fire at them, but his gun was empty after wasting his bullets trying to hit Mao! The hunters, with no options left, ran away in fear screaming, as the wolves chased them down.
Mao lay bare on the ground below Tao, who looked down at him with pity. A dying Mao said to his brother one last time “Tao. I am proud of you. I am sorry for the way I treated you. I was wrong. You truly are strong, my brother. It was my fault for not seeing how strong you had become.”
Mao exclaimed his last words. “Please take care of my family for me” he said.
Tao softly replied “Of course, brother.”
As the clouds began to part, the forest light returned once again. Tao walked out of the crowed forest into the plateau. As a ray of light shined on him, Tao smiled knowing winter had passed once again. In the distance, four foxes waited for him. Tao smiled, shook off the dirt from his fur, and joined Illini and her family atop the hill. Tao looked to the sky to see his brother Mao proudly smiling down upon them.
The End
