The Parable of the Farmer and the Fox
Once upon a time, there was a happy and successful farm located in a beautiful valley surrounded by a forest. The farm had sheep, chickens, cattle, horses, rabbits, and all manner of domesticated creatures (visual projections accompany the story). The Farmer cared deeply for all of his creatures and vowed to keep them safe from the dangerous and wild animals of the forest. To help him, the Farmer had his loyal and trusty companion Dog.
One of the animals of the forest that The Farmer and Dog had to constantly be on the watch for was the mischievous and cunning Fox. She was very clever and had discovered weaknesses in the Farm’s protection. One such weak spot was a rotten piece of wood in the fence at the back of the farm. Every few nights Fox would remove the piece of wood, and sneak into the farm to make off with one plump hen or hare. Each time she was able to avoid the traps set by the Farmer and was able to outrun Dog, who tried in vain to chase her down.
The Farmer and Dog both agreed that Fox was dangerous, and posed a great threat to their farm, so they redoubled their efforts to catch her. The Farmer created new and ingenious traps and Dog sharpened his teeth and claws. But they still could not catch her. The obsession that the Farmer and Dog had with catching Fox distracted them from changes in the forest. Changes that would make the threat of Fox look small. For Wolf and his pack had moved closer to the Farm from deep in the dark parts of the forest.
Wolf and his pack began to tear through the meeker animals of the forest, but soon set their eyes on the Farm, full of plump animals that were not accustomed to running and hiding from predators. But as Wolf set his hungry eyes in the direction of the farm, he also noticed the Farmer and Dog. Recognizing the threat the two posed should his wolf pack attempt to attack head-on, Wolf began to plan. The farmer and Dog together were very dangerous, but if they were turned on each other, the animals of the farm would be vulnerable and the Pack could feast.
So Wolf went to Snake, and asked a favor. Snake agreed, and one night she slithered through the fence and into the farm. She snuck behind Dog, and bit him once, lightly on the tail, injecting just enough venom to infect his mind but leave his body unharmed. Dog woke with a start, but could not find the source of his pain, and returned to uneasy slumber. Over the next few weeks, Dog became more and more wild and difficult to control. Dog saw Fox everywhere and even injured some of the animals after mistaking them for her. Farmer was concerned for his friend and tried to help, but nothing worked.
One day, Dog bit the Farmer and chased him out into the woods, ferociously barking at his heels. The Farmer ran for what felt like hours until Dog gave up and returned to the farm. By now it was night, and as the farmer traveled back, he heard the rustling of leaves and saw the yellow glowing eyes of Wolf and his pack watching him. He realized the danger the farm was in if Dog did not let him back to defend it. He realized he needed help to stop Dog and prepare the farm for an attack. He thought for a long moment and changed the direction of his path away from the farm.
After a while of walking, the Farmer stopped in front of a small burrow in the ground. He knocked on the door to the burrow, and when Fox opened the door he asked for her aid.
One of the animals of the forest that The Farmer and Dog had to constantly be on the watch for was the mischievous and cunning Fox. She was very clever and had discovered weaknesses in the Farm’s protection. One such weak spot was a rotten piece of wood in the fence at the back of the farm. Every few nights Fox would remove the piece of wood, and sneak into the farm to make off with one plump hen or hare. Each time she was able to avoid the traps set by the Farmer and was able to outrun Dog, who tried in vain to chase her down.
The Farmer and Dog both agreed that Fox was dangerous, and posed a great threat to their farm, so they redoubled their efforts to catch her. The Farmer created new and ingenious traps and Dog sharpened his teeth and claws. But they still could not catch her. The obsession that the Farmer and Dog had with catching Fox distracted them from changes in the forest. Changes that would make the threat of Fox look small. For Wolf and his pack had moved closer to the Farm from deep in the dark parts of the forest.
Wolf and his pack began to tear through the meeker animals of the forest, but soon set their eyes on the Farm, full of plump animals that were not accustomed to running and hiding from predators. But as Wolf set his hungry eyes in the direction of the farm, he also noticed the Farmer and Dog. Recognizing the threat the two posed should his wolf pack attempt to attack head-on, Wolf began to plan. The farmer and Dog together were very dangerous, but if they were turned on each other, the animals of the farm would be vulnerable and the Pack could feast.
So Wolf went to Snake, and asked a favor. Snake agreed, and one night she slithered through the fence and into the farm. She snuck behind Dog, and bit him once, lightly on the tail, injecting just enough venom to infect his mind but leave his body unharmed. Dog woke with a start, but could not find the source of his pain, and returned to uneasy slumber. Over the next few weeks, Dog became more and more wild and difficult to control. Dog saw Fox everywhere and even injured some of the animals after mistaking them for her. Farmer was concerned for his friend and tried to help, but nothing worked.
One day, Dog bit the Farmer and chased him out into the woods, ferociously barking at his heels. The Farmer ran for what felt like hours until Dog gave up and returned to the farm. By now it was night, and as the farmer traveled back, he heard the rustling of leaves and saw the yellow glowing eyes of Wolf and his pack watching him. He realized the danger the farm was in if Dog did not let him back to defend it. He realized he needed help to stop Dog and prepare the farm for an attack. He thought for a long moment and changed the direction of his path away from the farm.
After a while of walking, the Farmer stopped in front of a small burrow in the ground. He knocked on the door to the burrow, and when Fox opened the door he asked for her aid.
Recited by Head Archivist Delia Beroe
