The Tale of the Vicious Vulpine
Long ago, in a dense emerald forest, there resided a wise old owl named Ollie. He lived in the highest branch of the tallest tree, where he could observe the daily hustle-bustle of the forest. The creatures of the forest looked upon Ollie with respect; after all, he was the oldest living creature there and had accumulated a lifetime of wisdom.
One day, as Ollie was busy squinting through his half-moon glasses, observing his fellow inhabitants, he noticed a young rabbit scurrying along, its eyes wide with fear and its cheeks glistening with tears. Intrigued, Ollie decided to intervene. Descending quietly onto a nearby tree, he called out, 'What’s the hurry, little one?'
Trembling with fright, the bunny replied, 'The Vicious Vulpine is after me, Ollie. I'm afraid if he catches me, I will be his supper!'
Upon hearing this, Ollie felt concern for the rabbit but also confusion. 'The Vicious Vulpine? I’ve lived in these woods a long time, but have never been introduced.'
The rabbit described a monster with fiery eyes and giant, sharp teeth who only came out during the day to hunt and then vanished. The woods were no longer safe.
Not wanting the creatures of the forest to live in fear, Ollie decided to pay a visit to the so-called 'Vicious Vulpine.' He waited until the forest was bathed in the warm light of sunrise before he flew across the woods in search of the terrible creature.
He found Vulpine in a clearing, the sun making his red fur practically glow. To Ollie, Vulpine did look intimidating, but he also noticed something troubled in the fox's eyes.
'Why do you haunt my fellow forest-dwellers?' he questioned from a distance, not wanting to aggravate Vulpine. Surprised, Vulpine answered, 'I don’t want to haunt anyone. I am simply hungry.' Unconvinced, Ollie probed further. 'And there’s no other food you can consume, eh?'
With a bitter chuckle, Vulpine disclosed his predicament. He was no monster, but a victim of two naughty magpies who stole his food whenever he went hunting at night. The so-called 'Vicious Vulpine' was simply an ordinary fox trying to survive.
This revelation deeply upset Ollie. Back home, he gathered all the animals and relayed Vulpine's story. The inhabitants were moved and decided to help their foe.
At night, they executed their plan. As the magpies approached, all the animals emerged. The birds squawked. The mice squeaked. The squirrels chattered. The cacophony startled the magpies, causing them to flee and leaving behind a stash of stolen food.
From that day on, the Vicious Vulpine was seen no more, and instead, a helpful, friendly fox named Vulpine took his place. The forest was filled with unity, harmony, and happiness, for every being was important and no longer lived in fear.
Ollie settled back on his branch, looking over a peaceful forest. With a sigh of satisfaction, he repositioned his glasses and continued to watch, ready to intervene whenever necessary, to maintain the harmony he had helped establish.