Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Fox and the Wolf

Not to be confused with Aesop's "The Wolf and the Fox!" Completely different fable. We may go into that one later. For now, I would very much like you to read a fable I personally wrote in 2011 called "The Fox and the Wolf." Enjoy!

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A fox and a wolf had located a hen house at the same time and were unable to decide who would get the first catch. The fox thought of a way to settle the dispute and said, “I propose a fight. Whoever kills the other will take the hens for himself.” “That is acceptable for I can easily kill a fox,” replied the wolf. The fox then added, “I will need some time to ready myself. We shall meet here again tomorrow morning, and then we will fight.” The two parted ways, and on the first light of morning, the wolf returned. However he found no fox, and upon checking the hen house, there was not one morsel to be found.

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Those poor chickens! It seems that they were entirely used as a plot device for me to make my point. I'll cry about it later while dining out at KFC. In any case, this story employs one of the oldest tropes in fable history--that being the crafty fox.

Obviously a wolf would have no difficulties fighting or even killing a fox. The wolf in the story knew that. He was confident in his ability to win the contest. When the fox says that he needs time to get ready, the wolf thought this was fair. That was ultimately his mistake. The wolf concerned himself with fairness. He was also rather cocky, by the way. Never a good sign.

The problem here is that both sides are essentially evil. They are both billed as thieves in the story. Here is the thing about evil men: Alliances between them tend to be fickle or even entirely forged to begin with. A pact made with a criminal should be expected to be broken. The fox never had any intention of coming back to fight the wolf. The wolf was stupid and got what he deserved.

I did not give this story a moral. Aesop often omitted morals for many of his stories. But if I had to force myself, I'd say that the moral should be "There is no honor among thieves." Do you agree with it? Why not try making one yourself that fits better with my fable! I'd love to hear what you come up with!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below or email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Also, you can visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Thank you!