How the Fox Got His White Breast

How the Fox Got His White Breast

Once, near the home of a local ruler, there lived a fox named U Mirsïang. He had sharp ears, light paws, and such a sly little face that it seemed as though seven plans were being made in his head at once. U Mirsïang lived in a cave not far from people’s yards. By day he slept in the cool shade, and toward evening he went out to look for food. At first he was content with what he found in the forest, but in time he grew lazy and began visiting the farmyards. “Why go far,” he thought, “when supper lives behind a fence?” People did not like this at all. They strengthened their fences, shut their gates, and set watchers, but U Mirsïang always found a new gap. Sometimes he slipped under a hedge, sometimes he jumped over stones, and sometimes he waited until a watchman looked away. At last the ruler said, “Enough chasing him at night. We must catch this clever fellow in a way that hurts no one.” One of the servants suggested placing a large, sturdy cage near the yard and leaving it open. Inside they put several tasty-smelling morsels, then stepped well away. That night U Mirsïang came as quietly as usual. Nose—this way. Paw—that way. Ear—forward. “Something new,” he whispered when he saw the cage. “But it does not look like a trap. It is far too large.” He walked around it once, twice, three times. Then he pushed his nose inside. It smelled delicious. “I will only take a closer look.” The fox stepped in. Click! The door shut. “Oh bother,” said U Mirsïang, and he began at once to search for a way out. He pushed at the door with his shoulder, tried to slip a paw between the bars, and looked beneath the floor. Nothing worked. “Very well,” he muttered at last. “If my paws cannot solve this, I shall have to use my head.” Near dawn, a weary traveller came along the road. He had left his own country after a disagreement with the local authorities and was looking for a place where he could settle peacefully, work, and begin again. When he saw the cage, the man sat beside it to rest. Around his neck hung a small round mirror on a chain—almost the only fine thing he owned. The traveller sighed. “If only I could find work and a small piece of land here. But who knows me? Who would speak for me?” U Mirsïang pricked up his ears. Here is my chance, he thought. “Friend, do not be sad,” said the fox gently from the shadows. The man jumped. “Who is there?” “Someone who can help you.” In the darkness, the traveller could not at first see who was speaking. “Why are you in a cage?” The fox quickly made up a story. “The ruler here is looking for a stranger for a very honourable job. I was locked up by mistake, but I must hurry home to my family. If you take my place, they will speak with you in the morning, and you can ask permission to remain in these lands.” “Really?” asked the traveller. “Do I look like someone who would invent a tale?” U Mirsïang answered sweetly. Had it been lighter, the man might have seen the fox’s smile. But the night was dark, and his hope for a new home was great. He opened the cage door. U Mirsïang slipped out and promptly shut the traveller inside. “Thank you for your help!” called the fox. Just then the moon came out from behind a cloud, and the man finally saw the red-furred trickster. “But you are a fox!” “Exactly so,” U Mirsïang said merrily. “And tonight I am a very free fox!” In his surprise, the traveller touched his mirror. It fell from the chain and landed near the cage. The fox snatched it up. “I will keep this to remember our meeting,” he said, and vanished among the trees. At sunrise, the servants came. They were astonished to find a man in the cage instead of a fox. The traveller told them honestly everything that had happened. The ruler listened and shook his head. “The fox deceived you, but you did not hide the truth. Come out of the cage. If you wish to live here and work honestly, we will find a place for you.” So the traveller’s strange night ended better than he had dared to hope. Meanwhile, U Mirsïang ran farther and farther from the houses. He hung the little mirror around his neck and stopped now and then to admire himself. “What a handsome fellow!” he said to his reflection. “Clever, quick, and now wearing a fine ornament.” By evening, the fox had wandered into a quiet part of the forest and did not notice a great tiger lying nearby in the grass. The tiger saw the fox too. Here comes a bold little visitor, he thought, and prepared to spring. U Mirsïang heard a rustle and turned sharply. The mirror on his chest swung around and faced the tiger. In it, the tiger saw a huge striped face, shining eyes, and sharp teeth. He froze. Who is that? The tiger tilted his head; the frightening face tilted its head. The tiger stepped back; the face moved as well. “I do not like the look of this fox,” the tiger whispered. “He carries another tiger on his breast!” Not wishing to discover what sort of wonder this might be, he quietly backed away into the thicket. U Mirsïang blinked. “How interesting,” he said. “Tigers are not usually so shy.” He looked down at the mirror and understood. “What a useful thing!” From then on, the fox treasured the mirror even more. But one day people chased him because he had once again come too close to their yards. U Mirsïang raced to a river. “They will not catch me across the water!” He jumped in and began to swim. The current was strong. The water spun the fox around, caught the chain, and tore the mirror from his neck. “My wonder!” cried U Mirsïang. But the mirror flashed among the waves and disappeared. The fox climbed onto the far bank, shook himself dry, and looked sadly at the water. Then he noticed something strange. Where the round mirror had touched his fur for many days, a pale patch remained. It was white as moonlight. U Mirsïang twisted about, trying to look at his chest. “The mirror is gone,” he said, “but its memory has stayed.” People say that since then, the foxes in this old story have worn a light mark on their breasts. It is a reminder of the night when cleverness opened a cage, a mirror frightened a tiger, and the river carried away a fine-looking ornament. And perhaps the white patch tells one more thing: cleverness may help us out of trouble, but when we use tricks at someone else’s expense, adventures often find us very quickly.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨