Week 9 Story: Alex, the Boy Who Stole Fox Power

(Image Information: Fox Face, Flickr)

(Image Information: Fox Close Up, Maxpixel)

Hello. My name is Alex and this is my story about fox power. 

It was nearly forty years ago. I was a young boy, about thirteen. My family lived out in the country in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma. My mother had always loved animals, and she was constantly adopting them because she couldn't stand to see them hungry. We had sheep, pigs, cats, dogs, rabbits, goats...you name it, and we probably kept it as a pet. The one creature we'd never cared for was foxes. Back then, there weren't many foxes in our part of the woods. 

One day I'm out feeding and watering the animals, something I don't particularly like doing but have to do anyway. The pig has gone and knocked her water bin over, so I've gotta climb the fence to her pen and turn it over for her. I'm struggling in the mud, trying to right the dang thing. It's heavy, and my feet are slipping in the mud and pig filth. Our pig, Rosie, is eyeing me warily, grunting and scratching herself with her hind leg. I'm doing my best to ignore her as she starts getting louder and louder. Finally, I get the thing picked up. I climb the fence, put the hose in the bin, and turn to Rosie, who has been making a racket. "What? You want food? I'm gettin' it." She grunts and oinks more. I turn to look at her again and see something peculiar. Rosie isn't looking at me, she's looking at something behind me. Fear pounds in my chest. I've been watching too many horror movies and I'm all of a sudden certain that this is the moment I die. I spin around, expecting to see a goblin or zombie, or some horrific monster. My hands are stretched out in front of my face, in some kind of weird reflex, but through them, I see what Rosie is making so much noise about. It's not a monster at all. In fact, it's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.

Now, I thought I knew what a fox looked like, but the creature I saw looked totally different. I mean, it kind of looked like I'd imagined, but this thing was so much better. It radiated power, beauty, and magic, and I couldn't take my eyes off it. It was a few feet away, in the woods behind the pig pen. I could see it through the trees, but I don't think it knew we were watching. 

It was breathing weird, emitting a strange glow when it exhaled. As I watched, the glow took shape. It became a ball that floated up and down with the fox's breath. Suddenly, I remembered a story my bà ngoại used to tell me. It was an old Chinese folktale about magic foxes who could prepare the elixir of life, which granted great powers to whoever held it. A crazy idea came to me. Steal the glowing ball! I started to sneak closer to the fox, being careful not to rustle the grass. I snuck up close until I was only inches away. Between us hung a low tree branch, laden with leaves, creating a natural screen. I held my breath, and when the glowing orb floated up again, I lunged forward to grab it. I must've tripped over a branch or something, but next thing I knew, I was laying on my back, with a warm feeling in my throat and stomach, and the fox crouched on my chest. It put its face real close, baring its teeth. "You imbecile!" it growled. "You have swallowed my elixir of life!" 

I yelped. "What? I didn't mean too! Am I going to die?" 

The fox's lip stretched further apart, showing more teeth. "You didn't mean to steal my elixir? I don't believe you. You're lucky you have this power, but be warned: I'm coming back for you." With that, the fox ran away. 

Alex sat up gingerly. He felt a strange sensation, like a painless burn. He tried to stand up but suddenly found himself ten feet in the air. "Woah!" He gasped.

He landed on the ground and took off running. The world turned to a blur around him. He stopped and found himself in a part of the woods he recognized. "Wow, this is miles from where I was, and I got here in 30 seconds." He took off running again. Seconds later, he was back at the pig pen. "I can't believe this! MOM!" He ran inside. 

From that day on, Alex was blessed with fox power. He lived a great life, doing amazing things, becoming quite rich and powerful thanks to his magic abilities. He used his wealth and power to take care of his family. He helped his mom rescue thousands of animals, and used his magic purely for good. The fox watched him. Years went by, and Alex and his family lived happily. However, the fox never forgot about his vow to take back his power, and one day, when Alex was an old man of fifty years, the fox returned. "Hello, old enemy."

"Hello, Mister Fox. I've been awaiting your return." Replied Alex. "I owe you an apology. I never should have stolen what belonged to you, although I have to say I don't regret it. I've gained much from these powers. Nevertheless, it was wrong of me, and I am sorry."

"Sorry, are you? I don't believe you. However, I have been watching you over the years, and I've seen how you've used your powers for good. I know about all of the animals you and your mother have rescued. Many have come to me with tales of your kindness, and so, I don't feel like I can punish you. I will, however, take back what is mine." He lunged at Alex. 

Later, Alex woke up. At once, he could tell that his powers were gone, but that was okay. Alex was content. 

Author's Note: This story is based on Richard Wilhelm's story, Fox-Fire. My version is based on real life, taking the events from Wilhelm's story and putting them in the present. The character, Alex, is based on my brother. The mother is based on our mother, and the land and animals I describe are based on our real home. My version is similar to the original in many ways: Both start with a young boy sneaking up on a fox, both character's swallow the fox-fire, both characters live prosperous lives due to their powers, and both characters lose their powers to the fox around age fifty. My story also differs in some ways, mainly in that it is set in modern Oklahoma. In the original story, the powers grant the man the gift of healing the sick. In my story, I imagine Alex healing animals, though it's never explicitly stated. One last note: "bà ngoại" means grandmother in Vietnamese. This is another aspect drawn from real life. Alex and I are both part Chinese and part Vietnamese. Our grandmother was from Vietnam, and our grandfather was Chinese but lived in Vietnam. Our bà ngoại passed away when Alex and I were very young, but in this story, I imagined she lived longer and had the chance to tell us this Chinese folk tale, that perhaps she heard as a child, or learned from her husband. 

Bibliography: Chinese Fairy Book, Richard Wilhelm, Translated by Frederick H. Martens.

Story: Fox-Fire