Story The Fox and the Thorn: adaptation of Aesop’s fable.
Once upon a time there was a red-haired fox who lived in the forest. The animal was young and in very good health, so it spent hours running through the grass, sniffing among the blackberries, digging inside the molehills, and discovering mysterious hiding places. He never stayed still for more than a second!
Throughout the day he played a lot, but at night… at night his activity was even more rampant! And it is that while most of the animals snored peacefully inside their burrows, the tireless little fox took the opportunity to climb the trees and jump from branch to branch as if it were a circus tightrope walker. He practiced so much that he was able to climb up a pine tree and launch himself at another several meters away with the precision of a monkey. Incredible true?
For months he really enjoyed doing these crazy nocturnal pirouettes, but there came a time when he got bored and decided to try a really risky feat: climbing a very high mountain through the rockiest part. It was a dangerous challenge for someone of his species, but far from being intimidated, he stuck out his chest and launched into the adventure.
One night, just as the pearly moon was highest in the sky, the brave and athletic animal began to climb the rock-strewn slope.
He achieved his goal in just three hours, so he arrived in plenty of time to see the day break. The goats, until that moment the only beings capable of performing such a feat, were shocked when they noticed that a small orange fox reached the summit in record time and with barely ruffled his bangs.
– I’ve made it!… I can almost touch the clouds!… Whoa!
Naturally, the first thing he did when he reached the top was to celebrate by jumping up and down and shouting for joy. He felt so proud of himself!… Then he made an effort to calm down, and when he managed to lower his heart rate and breathe with some normality, he sat down to enjoy the sunrise.
– What pure air is breathed here… and what an impressive sunrise!
With the world at his feet, he felt like the king of the mountain.
– Since going up was easy for me, from now on I will come often. The views are incredible!
After a good dose of beauty and meditation, he decided that the time had come to return to his home.
– Going down is going to be a piece of cake!… Let’s go there!
He jumped to get up and that’s when something terrible happened: due to an oversight he slipped and began to fall down the mountain, bouncing more than a rubber ball in a schoolyard.
“Help, someone help me!”
He rolled and rolled for a couple of minutes that seemed interminable, while shouting:
– Oh, oh, I’m going to crash!… Help!… Help!
When he was about to reach the end and give himself the smack of the century, he passed a small tree covered in white flowers. It was the only chance of salvation for him! Demonstrating good reflexes, she stretched out her front legs and clung to him desperately. At that very moment, she felt a very intense pain in her fingers.
– Ay, ay, ay, ay! What the hell…?! Oh!
What a bad luck! The bush in question was a thorn that, like all thorns, had its branches covered with extremely sharp spikes that mercilessly dug into the fox’s paws.
– Oh no, this is horrible, I think I’m going to faint!… Damn plant!
Hearing these words, the thorn was very offended.
– Excuse me for telling you, friend, but I don’t know what you’re complaining about. You held on to me because he wanted to. As far as I know nobody forced you!
With tears in her eyes, the fox lamented:
– How can I not complain?! I asked for your help because I was about to kill myself, and this is how you treat me?… You are a truly cruel being! Look, you have treacherously wounded me and now my paws are bathed in blood and… full of holes!
The proud thorn, with an angry gesture, replied:
– Of course I have pricked you!… Do you know why? Well, because I’m a thorn! I hurt everyone who comes near me and, of course, you are no exception.
The battered fox made a face of not understanding the situation very well, so the plant again made its way of being very clear, its way of living life, its way of feeling.
– I think I’m being very honest with you: I am what you see and I’m not going to change, so the best thing you can do is get away from me forever. Oh! And I’m going to give you a little advice: the next time you need someone to lend you a hand, remember to choose the best friend who can help you.
The fox was silent and began to reflect on the words he had just heard. Finally, and despite the frustration, grief and pain he was feeling, he was able to understand what the thorn was telling him.
And you… have you understood it too?
Moral: Throughout life we meet countless people. Most tend to be friendly, honest, sensitive… In short, human beings who strive to make the world a better place. But it is also true that sometimes we come across others who only think of themselves, do harm without thinking about the consequences, and are incapable of opening their hearts to put themselves in another’s place.
You have the ability to choose the majority of your friends, to decide who are the trusted people with whom you want to share the most important moments of your existence, so try to surround yourself with kind people who respect you and truly love you. You will learn good values, you will be much happier, and if you ever need advice or have a major problem, they will be by your side to help you and show you their sincere love.
