Fox and the Chickens

One day, Fox woke up in her den with her babies curled at her feet. The sun shone into the small cave that they called home. She yawned and nuzzled the pups to wake up. They were very hungry, but Fox had no milk to give them. Instead, she told them stories of fox bravery and cunning. The pups cried out to their mother, "Mama, when can we be like the foxes in your stories?"

"When you are older," their mother replied. "For now, you listen to learn how to be the best little foxes that you can be."

Fox knew that she had to get food so she would have milk for her babies. Naturally occurring food was scarce, but Fox managed to catch a small rabbit. She ate it, drank some water from a stream, and went home to feed her pups. They were waiting eagerly for her return. After they drank their fill of her milk, all of the pups but one curled up in little balls of fluff and slept. The smallest pup, which was still awake, said to his mother, "Mama, why don't you go to Farmer Bob's barn? The foxes in your stories always find lots of food there. You are sly and brave. I have seen you fight off eagles that try to catch us little ones. You can find food for yourself so you will not go hungry!"

Fox thought about what her baby had said. Finally, she nuzzled him and spoke. "That is a very good idea, little one. I will go and catch chickens for myself to eat. You and your brothers and sisters are almost ready for solid food. I will keep some eggs, wait for them to hatch, and give you your first meat."

Fox was true to her word. Early the next morning, before dawn, she woke and left the den without disturbing the pups. Fox hid the den by picking up leaves and piling them in front of the entrance. The pups would be safe this way. Fox slunk silently towards the barn of Farmer Bob. Once she got there, she crept into the chicken coop.

Fox killed a chicken and dragged it around the back of the barn. She ate most of it and left the rest in a bush. The vultures would find it later. Fox went back into the chicken coop, where the hens had gone back to sleep. She wondered how she would transport the eggs back to her den, where the pups would be sleeping.

Finally, fox saw it. A shirt belonging to Farmer Bob had been left on a stool in the barn. She dragged it onto the ground with her teeth, and laid it flat. One by one, she picked up eight eggs, held them in her mouth, and placed them gently in the center of the shirt. As best as she could, Fox made the shirt into a bundle, and picking it up in her mouth, painstakingly carried it home.

By the time Fox returned, it was a little past dawn. The babies had just woken up. "Mama," they cried cheerfully, "how did it go?" Their mother placed the bundle on the ground and showed the pups what was inside. The pups frolicked around happily and congratulated Fox. "There are eight eggs here. They will hatch in to baby chickens. One for each of you six, and two for me," Fox explained. The pups looked at her with awe and utter admiration.

A week went by, and the eggs had not hatched. Food was scarce again, and Fox sadly decided that the eggs would not hatch. She told this to the pups, and they were heartbroken. Still, they ate the eggs, which would have gone bad otherwise, and were more or less content. Fox became wiser, and she knew that in the future, she should not count her chickens before they hatch.