Crimson Fairy Book

Chapter 33 How the Evil Fox Was Punished
Due to years of constant hunting by hunters, few wild animals are seen in the forest.Walking through the forest, you may not see hares, stags, wild boars, or hear pigeons cooing in their nests.They either died or flew elsewhere.Only three animals are still alive, and they are hiding in the dense forest on the high mountain.They are: a gray fox with a long tail, his wife and son.

The couple were very alert and shrewd, and they were proficient in all kinds of escape arts, so they avoided the bad luck that happened to their unfortunate friends.At the sound of a bow and arrow, or the sight of a gleaming spear, they are at once quiet, and never come out of their hiding-places unless they are very hungry or their prey not very attractive.

"We wouldn't be so stupid to risk our lives." They often proudly encouraged each other.However, one day at last, the shrewd ones could no longer find food and were about to starve to death.We must think of a way, but what kind of way?

Suddenly, the fox came up with a good idea. "I have a plan," he cried happily to his wife. "I'll play dead, and you become a human being, and you take me to the village to sell. It's easy to find buyers, and they all need fox skins. You use the money you sold me to buy some food. As for me, I will find a way to get out myself, don't worry."

The fox wife smiled happily, and patted her two paws contentedly: "That's great, next time I pretend to be dead, you sell me." So she turned herself into a human being, picked up her husband's stiff body, Walk towards the village.Although the fox wife noticed that her husband was very heavy, she dared not let him go by herself for fear of being seen.

As the fox expected, there were so many people who bought him, and the wife handed over her husband to the highest bidder, and bought some food with the money from the sale.The buyer took the fox home, threw it into the corner of the house and went out.The fox found that no one was guarding him, so he carefully climbed out of a broken window.As he crawled, he thought how lucky he was.After climbing out, he hid in a ditch and waited until it was dark before running back to the forest.

With these foods, the three of them had a happy life.But soon, their granary was empty again.

"It's time for me to play dead this time," cried Mrs. Fox.So the husband turned himself into a farmer, carried his wife on his shoulders, and walked towards a village.Soon a buyer came, and when they were bargaining, an evil idea suddenly appeared in the fox's mind: if he got rid of his wife, he and his son would have more food.So, pocketing the money, he whispered to the buyer that the fox was not dead yet, and would escape if he was not careful.The man understood immediately, and he struck the fox on the head so hard that it died instantly, and the evil husband walked into a shop laughing.

In the past, he liked his son very much, but since he betrayed his wife, he seemed to have completely changed. He didn't give his son a bite of food.If he hadn't found some nuts and strawberries for himself, the little guy would have starved to death.

He waits every day, hoping that his mother will come back.

Finally, he began to understand the truth.He thought hard from morning to night, trying to find a way to avenge his mother.He was careful not to let the old fox see his thoughts.

One morning the little fox was sitting beside his father.Suddenly, he remembered that his mother had taught him all the spells, and he could change like his father, maybe even better than his father. "I'm a mage as good as you are." He suddenly said to his father, and the old man shivered when he heard this.However, he still smiled, pretending that what he heard was a joke.However, the little fox persisted, and finally, his father offered to make a bet.

"Turn into whatever you want," he said, "I will recognize you. I will wait for you on the bridge leading to the village. You can change into whatever you want. I can see through your disguise." The little fox agreed Now, I walked in the direction my father said.However, he didn't change himself into anything else, he just hid in a corner of the bridge so that his father could not see him.

Not long after the little fox arrived, the father came, and he stood in the middle of the bridge and waited for his son.Soon the king passed by, followed by a group of guards and all his courtiers.

"Ah! He thinks he has become a king and I don't know him anymore." The old fox thought to himself, and when the king's magnificent carriage passed by, he jumped on it and shouted: "I won, you can't fool me!" ’” Actually, he lied to himself.When the soldiers saw that the king was being attacked, they seized the old fox by the leg, and threw him into the river, where the water soon drowned him.

Seeing all this, the little fox felt very relieved, and he finally avenged his mother.He turned and went back into the forest, where he might still be alone if he didn't feel lonely.

(End of this chapter)