The Red Fox

 A small red fox travels tirelessly through miles of thick forest in search of a new home. It shouldn't be more than a half-day journey before she reaches the lake that sits beside a patch of Sitka spruce trees. It's a well-known spot in the forest and is said to be a haven for animals with nowhere else to go. As the fox gets closer, her excitement starts to fade as her fears rise and taunt her. It doesn't matter where you go, no one is ever going to like you. You have nothing to offer, you just aren't good enough. The small fox hadn't fit in with the other foxes in her skulk. They pushed her further and further out of the group until one day she was asked to leave altogether. A sensitive soul, the red fox finds herself overcome with fear at the thought of having to endure the same rejection for a second time. She stops in her tracks when her eyes settle on a large pile of white feathers and her clever little mind hatches an idea.

The fox is going to use the feathers to make herself a pair of wings; angel wings, to be exact. The thought instantly quells her fears, after all, who would turn away an angel? She reasons that if she were to arrive at the lake dressed like an angel, then all of the animals would see that she is good and would be grateful to have her live among them. No one would even think to ask her to leave the lake and find somewhere else to live. The plan seems foolproof. She sits down on the ground in front of the pile of feathers happily. The red fox works through the night, not even pausing to rest, and by dawn, she has created a most beautiful set of wings. She admires them gleefully before strapping them on and then completes the last trek of her long journey with the wings on her back.

The small fox comes to the lake with her head held as high as her hope. She bends down to take a drink from the water and her wings spread out on display at the exact moment the clouds part to let the sunshine through. A beam of light shines directly upon the fox as she sips. A doe and her young fawn drinking from the lake stop and stare at her in awe. The fawn's jaw drops and he thinks that he has just witnessed a miracle. The sun had been hiding for weeks, without it the days were cold, dull, and gray. The fawn calls to the red fox excitedly before hurrying over to introduce himself. His mother trails behind and comes to stand in front of the fox, equally curious. The small red fox proudly informs them that she is an angel who has come a long way to find a home near the lake. The fawn is eager to find out if the fox truly brought out the sun as it appeared.

The fox hesitates for a minute before answering. She hadn't done anything other than taking a drink, but at the hopeful look on the fawn's face, she decides to claim the miracle. The fawn and his mother are overjoyed to have a magical neighbor and spend the rest of the day telling every animal they see the story of the fox angel by the lake. By nightfall, every animal within twenty miles has heard about the fox. The lake bustles with excited chatter in the days that follow, and the fox is happier than she has ever been. She makes herself a nice new den under a large western hemlock tree a few yards from the lake, confident that she's found her new home.

Animals stop to chat with the red fox whenever she is on her way to drink water from the lake. They start to come up to her while she is searching for berries or collecting new treasures to bring home to her den. The animals share their troubles and ask her to grant them miracles as she did with the sun on that first morning she'd come to the lake. The red fox listens to the animals with a sympathetic ear and promises to help each one of them. She loves the attention and the feeling of being needed by so many animals, but she has no idea how to solve any of their problems. There are far too many, and so few are within the realm of her control. Afraid to tell the truth and risk losing their favor, the fox is left to hope that the animal's problems will solve themselves.

Soon, animals start showing up outside of her den to ask for miracles once or twice a day. A few offer her small gifts, like the little red berries she likes, or some acorns for her collection, and she accepts them gratefully. But then, animals start stopping by to find out why their miracles haven't been granted. The weight of the fox's lies grows heavier on her but she is still too afraid to tell them the truth. She continues to lie to each animal who comes to her, promising that time will provide everything that is asked, and she slowly starts to spend less of her time in her den. She sneaks out earlier each morning and comes back later each night, holding out the hope that if she waits long enough, it will all work itself out.

But it only gets worse when the animals begin to gather outside of her den. They are growing restless waiting for miracles that never come. None of them can think of anything else. The red fox is unable to get even a moment's peace, let alone a quiet drink or meal, and she hasn't been out to search for new treasures in a week. The attention she once loved now makes her feel resentful. The animal's patience has run out as well. They have been left waiting too long and begin to call out hurtful things to the fox, sometimes they even kick dirt and stones into her den.

It all comes to a head one afternoon when the fox comes out to stand before the animals and kindly asks them for a little space. They yell and scream at the fox, who immediately cowers in fear. A high-pitched hooting sounds from a high branch of the western hemlock tree as spotted owl bark, “Miracle! Miracle! Miracle!” It doesn't take long for the other animals to chime in and the chant grows louder and louder until the small fox is brought to tears. She covers her ears and cries out, “STOP!” The animals grow silent, but continue to glare at her menacingly. With no more time to waste, the fox confesses. She tells the animals that she's been lying from the beginning, she is not an angel. She does her best to explain how her fears fueled the lie and all of those that followed. She begs for their forgiveness and assures them that she never meant to hurt anyone; all she wanted was to be accepted.

A young fawn steps forward to stand in front of the small fox. It's the same one she met on that first day at the lake, where it all started. She can't help but remember the look of hope she'd seen on his face that day and wishes with all of her heart that he will forgive her. But instead, the fawn moves forward and grabs one of the fox's wings in his mouth. Then he pulls his head back rapidly, ripping out some of the feathers with his teeth. The other animals follow suit, tearing the fox's carefully crafted wings to shreds in a matter of minutes. With her wings and her spirit destroyed, the fox hangs her head in shame as she once again suffers the painful sting of rejection, and it is even worse the second time around. She turns and runs away from the animals, her den, and the lake, brokenhearted. After her departure, life at the lake quickly returns to normal. The small red fox, on the other hand, wanders the forest for a long, lonely while, too scared to try again. It is only when she finds the courage to be herself that she settles in a new home and is finally happy.