by: Elena Bagwell
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"Fox & Snow Shadows"
an oil painting by:
Martin Ridley
Image Link
After leaving Salvatierra my travels took me to a totally
different location called Urkiola. Urkiola is one of the most
ancient and well-preserved national parks in the world. My reason
for visiting there was
to get back to nature, and that I did in more ways than I
expected. As I was hiking down the remote paths I
took a slight detour that appeared to be a path, but a much less used
one. The farther I walked the deeper I got into the forest, and
the greater the distance between myself and the familiar
world. I became spooked when I realized I might have gone
too far, and knew that I could have trouble finding my way back.
Yet still, I couldn't resist the temptation of discovering more and my
instincts told me something special lay ahead. After a few more
minutes of hiking I came across an old dwelling that appeared to be
abandoned. I knocked on the door and when I assumed that no one
was there I began to push open the creaky old door. Much to my
surprise I came across an old woman sitting in a rocking chair next to
a blazing fire. Now the situation could have fared a lot worse
than it did, but lucky for me the woman motioned for me to come
in. I presumed that she didn't receive very many visitors and
that she was thrilled by my unexpected appearance.
She motioned again for me to take a seat close to her. The closer I got to her the more I became aware that she had a pet fox resting in her lap, which I thought was very interesting. The next few moments passed very quickly when the mysterious old woman and her fox began to tell me a special story. I had always known that foxes were very clever and cunning, but I had never had a personal experience to prove that. That is, until now.
The story of Acheria the Fox began:
It was a long, cold, and brutal winter and I was having difficulty finding food. I decided I would put my cunningness to the test to see if I could feed myself. I knew of a shepherd who passed by my den every day with his flock of sheep. I monitored the sheperd until I had memorized his habitual actions. I wanted to steal some of his milk and cheese so I employed a wolf to help me do so, promising him that we would split the feast. I convinced him to wait out in the field until the sheperd led his flock out to graze. After he had done so I told the wolf to startle the sheep so that the sheperd's attention would be diverted. At the moment that the wolf did so, I ran into the sheperd's house and quickly ate all I could of the curdled milk. Once that had been done I replaced the empty pot with dirt and topped the dirt with cream. When the wolf returned I gave him the pot. When he discovered it was full of dirt he became very mad. I explained to him that it was just the way the sheperd made his milk and cheese. So we parted, the wolf angry and hungry while I was happy and stuffed.
The next day I came across a blackbird who I talked into a similar situation. I had known of a boy who routinely passed by my den with dinner for his father. I talked the blackbird into distracting the young boy so that he would drop his basket and chase after the blackbird, while I snatched the basket up. We agreed on the plans and on a meeting place to split the food. I, being so clever, took the basket and simply went back to my den.
I knew that my cleverness put me in a bad situation so I decided to find a new home, one on the other side of the river and away from my new enemies. At the water's edge I came across a boatman who I convinced to take me across the river. I promised him I would reveal to him three truths if he did so. The boatman complied so I jumped into the boat and proceeded to tell him the first of my terrible truths.
"People say that maize bread is as good as wheat bread. That's not true, wheat bread is better. That is the first truth," I instructed.
Why the man didn't throw me overboard, I have no idea.
"People also say that a fine night is just as clear as the day. That, too, is false. The day is always clearer so that is the second truth," I informed him.
The first two truths were so bad that I considered throwing myself into the water for the boatman, but I wouldn't be too clever if I did that so instead I continued on with the third truth.
"The third truth is that you have a bad pair of pants on, and they will only get worse unless you help those people cross over the river who can pay you more than I," and I leaped ashore.
-------------------------------------
As the tale ended the old woman and her fox, Acheria, motioned for me to make my exit. I did so and returned to the forest once more.
Author's Note:
I didn't change much to this story. I just shortened it a little by leaving out some of the details of the fox's plans with the wolf and the blackbird. Instead of telling the story in third person narrative, I had the fox tell the story himself. I also altered the ending by adding in the comments the fox makes about throwing himself in the river. In the original, the fox seems to be totally serious about his three truths, but after I read them, I thought were the most ridiculous things I had ever heard so I added a little bit of humor. I included this story because it's not very serious, and much more light-hearted than the ones I have included thus far. I wanted to include something fun and I thought this story did the job.
Bibliography:
Story Title: Acheria, the Fox
Story Websource: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/basque/bl/bl17.htm
Book Title: Basque Legends
Author: Wentworth Webster
Year: 1879
Return to my Storybook!!
Proceed to Story 4: Basa-Jauna the Wild Man
She motioned again for me to take a seat close to her. The closer I got to her the more I became aware that she had a pet fox resting in her lap, which I thought was very interesting. The next few moments passed very quickly when the mysterious old woman and her fox began to tell me a special story. I had always known that foxes were very clever and cunning, but I had never had a personal experience to prove that. That is, until now.
The story of Acheria the Fox began:
It was a long, cold, and brutal winter and I was having difficulty finding food. I decided I would put my cunningness to the test to see if I could feed myself. I knew of a shepherd who passed by my den every day with his flock of sheep. I monitored the sheperd until I had memorized his habitual actions. I wanted to steal some of his milk and cheese so I employed a wolf to help me do so, promising him that we would split the feast. I convinced him to wait out in the field until the sheperd led his flock out to graze. After he had done so I told the wolf to startle the sheep so that the sheperd's attention would be diverted. At the moment that the wolf did so, I ran into the sheperd's house and quickly ate all I could of the curdled milk. Once that had been done I replaced the empty pot with dirt and topped the dirt with cream. When the wolf returned I gave him the pot. When he discovered it was full of dirt he became very mad. I explained to him that it was just the way the sheperd made his milk and cheese. So we parted, the wolf angry and hungry while I was happy and stuffed.
The next day I came across a blackbird who I talked into a similar situation. I had known of a boy who routinely passed by my den with dinner for his father. I talked the blackbird into distracting the young boy so that he would drop his basket and chase after the blackbird, while I snatched the basket up. We agreed on the plans and on a meeting place to split the food. I, being so clever, took the basket and simply went back to my den.
I knew that my cleverness put me in a bad situation so I decided to find a new home, one on the other side of the river and away from my new enemies. At the water's edge I came across a boatman who I convinced to take me across the river. I promised him I would reveal to him three truths if he did so. The boatman complied so I jumped into the boat and proceeded to tell him the first of my terrible truths.
"People say that maize bread is as good as wheat bread. That's not true, wheat bread is better. That is the first truth," I instructed.
Why the man didn't throw me overboard, I have no idea.
"People also say that a fine night is just as clear as the day. That, too, is false. The day is always clearer so that is the second truth," I informed him.
The first two truths were so bad that I considered throwing myself into the water for the boatman, but I wouldn't be too clever if I did that so instead I continued on with the third truth.
"The third truth is that you have a bad pair of pants on, and they will only get worse unless you help those people cross over the river who can pay you more than I," and I leaped ashore.
-------------------------------------
As the tale ended the old woman and her fox, Acheria, motioned for me to make my exit. I did so and returned to the forest once more.
Author's Note:
I didn't change much to this story. I just shortened it a little by leaving out some of the details of the fox's plans with the wolf and the blackbird. Instead of telling the story in third person narrative, I had the fox tell the story himself. I also altered the ending by adding in the comments the fox makes about throwing himself in the river. In the original, the fox seems to be totally serious about his three truths, but after I read them, I thought were the most ridiculous things I had ever heard so I added a little bit of humor. I included this story because it's not very serious, and much more light-hearted than the ones I have included thus far. I wanted to include something fun and I thought this story did the job.
Bibliography:
Story Title: Acheria, the Fox
Story Websource: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/basque/bl/bl17.htm
Book Title: Basque Legends
Author: Wentworth Webster
Year: 1879
Return to my Storybook!!
Proceed to Story 4: Basa-Jauna the Wild Man