Sly Fox Likes Duck Stew

Not long ago, in the Land of Fairytales, lived Mother duck with her seven ducklings. They lived in a pond surrounded by green grass and wildflowers, near Fable Field, where Loki, the unicorn, lived.

One morning, when Loki strolled by the pond, one little duckling looked very sad as he waded alone near the bank.

"What's wrong, my little duckling friend?" Loki asked.

"I want to run away from home," the little duckling answered.

“The Land of Fairytales is the best home I’ve ever had. Why do you want to run away?” Loki asked.

“My sisters and brothers call me ugly duckling because I’m not pretty like them,” the frowning duckling replied, “I just don’t fit in here.”

"A long time ago, I lived in a field of brown and black horses far away in the Land of Nowhere. With a horn on my head and wings on my back, I wasn’t like the other horses. I didn’t fit in either,” Loki explained.

“So, how did you get here?” the curious little duckling asked.

“One day, I ran away from the field of horses and found myself a new home here in the Land of Fairytales," Loki answered.

The duckling planned to run away, just like Loki had done. Maybe he would find a new home where he would fit in and no one would call him ugly.

The duckling snuck away from the pond and crept across the green grass and wildflowers of Fable field, but since he’d never been away from his family, he didn’t know which way to go. He turned the wrong way and crossed over the border into the Badlands. It wasn’t long before, Sly fox snatched him up.

"I sure love duck stew," Sly fox said licking his lips. Sly fox tied up the duckling and prepared a pot for stew.

Soon, Stork flew over and realized what Sly fox was planning to do to the little duckling. He quickly flew home to find someone to help him rescue the duckling.

The first person Stork noticed was Hayward Pig working in his garden. Knowing there wasn’t much time to save the little duckling, Stork quickly explained the predicament.

“I’ll rescue the little duckling,” Hayward pig said. “I’m small, and I can sneak up to untie him while Sly fox isn’t looking.”

Stork scooped Hayward Pig in his beak and flew as fast as he could to the Badlands to drop him off near the campsite of Sly Fox

Once Stork had dropped him off, Hayward Pig crept behind the little duckling to untie the rope, but before he could do it, Sly fox snatched Hayward pig up too.

"Now, I’ll have duck stew and barbecue too.” Sly Fox licked his lips and grinned even bigger.

While Sly fox prepared a second pot, Stork flew over the campsite to check on his friends, but he soon realized their grave predicament. He flew home and to tell the elders of Fairy Tale Land what Sly Fox had planned for Hayward Pig and the little duckling.

“I’ll rescue the pig and the duckling,” Papa bear said as he set out to the Badlands.

When Papa bear arrived, Sly fox tried to snatch him up too, but instead, Papa Bear snatched up Sly Fox and held him upside down by his toes over the now boiling pots.

"What are you planning to do with the little duckling and pig?" Papa bear asked.

When Sly Fox didn’t answer, the duckling spoke up and said, "Sly fox is going to make duck stew and barbecue too."

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Papa bear asked Sly Fox lowering him only inches above the boiling pots.

Sly fox replied with a stutter, "B..B..Bear stew is quite yucky.”

Papa bear continued to hold the kicking Sly Fox in the air as he untied the little duckling and Hayward Pig then said, “Run as fast as you can to the town hall. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I take care of Sly Fox.”

Still holding Sly Fox by his toes, Papa Bear licked his lips and asked, "Have you ever tried roasted fox? I’ve heard it was quite tasty."

Sly fox nervously answered, "No, I’m sure roasted fox would be yucky too."

Papa Bear slung Sly fox as high as he could into the air tossing him far away. “Next time I catch you, I promise I will taste roasted fox.”

When the little duckling reached the town hall, he stood before the board of commissioners, the elders of the Land of Fairytales who made all the important decision and other citizens including his mother.

Mother duck shook her head in disappointment. "Why did you run away from home?"

"My sisters and brothers call me ugly, and I just don’t fit in."

"Disrespecting your elders is against the rules." Mother Goose peered over her glasses. “It’s disrespectful to disregard the rules.”

"I'm sorry," the duckling cried. “I didn’t plan to cause anyone problems. I just wanted to be somewhere I fit in.”

"You would’ve been really sorry if Sly fox had eaten us up.” Hayward pig shook his head.

"Your siblings shouldn’t call you ugly; they should call you naughty duck instead," Gingerbread Man said.

"Little duckling should be punished. Let’s vote," Cupid called from his chair.

Shaking and scared, the little duckling squeezed his eyes shut while the elders voted on his punishment. When the vote was over, he opened his eyes, and Mother duck stood beside him.

"You knew better than to run away from home. It was quite dangerous to stray in the Badlands," Mother duck said, “but since Sly Fox nearly ate you for dinner, I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson.”

"Your siblings should not have called you the ugly duckling, so we’ve voted for you a new name,” Papa bear said. “Now, you’ll be called the Most Beautiful Duck in the Land."

"But I'm not beautiful," the duckling said.

Mother duck smiled as little duckling’s brothers and sisters gathered around hugging him. "Real beauty comes from within."