A/N: Happy NEW YEAR! Late I know but still wanted to wish you guys a happy New Year and remember that God can give everybody a clean new slate. Thank you to all who read. Special thanks to those who favorite and follow! And I know this is a lot but some reviews would be nice, please. Scriptures at the end are what the story is based off of. So please Read and Review, but most of all, ENJOY!
Disclaimer: These stories and the Bible are God's. Yep. I own nada.
There once were four friends: the Dog, the Cat, the Fox, and the Crow. The Dog and the Cat had a benevolent Master. The Dog would always beg his friends to come join him and the Cat to live for the Master.
"Friends, please come stay a minute with my Master and I." The Dog yipped.
"Yes, please! Our Master would surely accept your great talents." The Cat flattered the Crow. The Cat did not like the Fox because he saw the Fox as too wild to be tamed. The Fox did not catch the Cat's hidden animosity but he knew that the Cat favoured the Crow.
"I was never meant to be tamed." The Fox would say bluntly.
"I am too great to be tamed." The Crow would cry proudly. Yet, the Dog asked the same question day after day, for he loved his friends and wanted what was best for them. For the harsh winter was blowing in. The Dog knew he would have shelter but his free friends would not. The Cat on the other hand just wanted the Crow to join them so that one day he could eat the Crow. He hoped that the Fox's wild nature wouldn't cause him to eat the Crow first.
A few days before winter blew in, the Fox met the Dog, the Cat, and the Crow with a bundle of bread.
"Rejoice my friends for I have been able to get food that could feed us through the winter!" The Fox said gleefully.
"Oh Fox! You're are hero indeed!" The Crow sang. The Dog and the Cat noticed that the bread was fresh. They deduced that it was stolen. They both knew that their Master didn't condone stealing.
"Well, as your friend it would be rude of me not to accept some of your offer. But being the wild animal you are I assume that you stole it." The Cat accused, but as the Fox bowed his head in shame the Cat grabbed a small piece of the bread. The Fox's flushed face looked up and smiled regardless.
"I admit I stole this from the baker, but that does not matter. I have food to survive" The Fox said in defense.
"It does matter." The Dog barked. "Our master does not allow stealing. What you did was wrong, even if it was to survive."
"So you are saying I should just accept death?" the Fox asked with a bitter tone.
"No, I want you to live." The Dog whimpered. "I just believe that what you did was wrong and you should find a better way to survive." The Dog pleaded with the Fox. The Crow and the Cat sat next to the bread, munching on it as they watched the Fox and the Dog.
"Stealing may be wrong but it's what must be done to survive. If you don't understand that then you truly do want me to die!" The Fox snapped back.
"I would never want you to die. I just don't want you to do something that could get you in trouble later on." The Dog said humbly.
"Ha! I would have to get caught first." The Fox laughed. "I will show you that I, the most cunning animal, will surely not get caught." The Fox boasted. The Dog just shook his head.
"If you are going to continue to steal, then I cannot be your friend. My Master hates wrong and stealing is wrong. I cannot be associated with such acts" The Dog said sadly. The Fox's anger grew.
"Then I was right. You do hate me. Go crawl back to your Master since He seems to be the only thing you care about." The Fox growled. The Fox ran away, the Crow flying after him, leaving a weeping Dog behind.
"Leave him Dog." The Cat purred. "The wild animal will see we were right." The Cat said haughtily as they walked back to their Master.
By the time winter blew in the whole village knew of the thieving Fox but no one had caught him. The beautiful Crow would join the Fox in some of the schemes. The Dog and the Cat continued to obey and live for their Master. Although some days the Master saw the Dog looking somberly out the window when mentions of the Fox came up. One day, there was a horrible blizzard and the Master ordered His animals to not go outside to get food when He had some for them. The Fox and the Crow, on the other hand, hadn't had food for a few days. The Fox didn't want to eat his friend and decided to steal from one of the houses near by. The Fox didn't know that the owners of the house had laid traps to capture him. The Fox's back leg was caught in a trap. His leg was entangled in thin sharp wire.
"Friend Crow, please help me!" The Fox cried.
"I am sorry dear friend but I'm too elegant to be caught." The Crow sang. The Fox whimpered as he tried to detach himself from the wire. The Fox heard the people from the house load guns to kill him. The Fox decided to detach the wire from the post it was on. He only needed time. Fortunately the people didn't go after the Fox first. They noticed the Crow first because of his beautiful feathers. The first gunshot the Fox heard hit his friend the Crow. The Fox would've cried for his friend but he was still stuck. The Fox managed to detach the wire from the post and he limped away as the people debated to do with his friend. Except one man saw the Fox and tried to shoot him. The Fox was only grazed with the bullet, but it grazed the Fox's already injured leg. The Fox howled in pain but continued into the forest. The blizzard that had blown in hid the Fox from the people. The Fox limped to a nearby creek to rest. The Fox sat next to it, trying to dig out the wire from his injured leg. The Cat had come out against his Master's orders to fetch the dead Crow. The Cat had seen it get shot and he did not want the Fox to eat it before he did. On his way to fetch the Crow, the Cat passed the creek the Fox was at.
"Ha! Look at the wild Fox tamed at last by his own nature." The Cat cackled in front of the Fox. The Fox only sneered at the Cat.
"You boast about the kindness of your Master yet when one of your friends is hurt you show that there is none in your heart. Be careful where you tread you arrogant Cat" The Fox growled at the Cat. The Cat only huffed in annoyance at the Fox as he walked past the Fox.
"The Dog and I told you this would happen but you did not listen. You are the arrogant one and you deserve what you got." The Cat hissed. Yet as the Cat took another step away from the Fox the thin ice upon the creek cracked. "Fox help!" The Cat cried.
"Why would I? I warned you before it happened." The Fox said coyly. Yet as the ice cracked more the Fox reached out to the Cat. In fear the Cat grabbed onto the Fox and pulled him towards the creek. The Fox whined in pain but held onto the shore. The relentless wind from the blizzard blew the Fox and the Cat towards the freezing creek. Suddenly the Fox felt a tight but gentle pressure on his tail as he and the Cat were being pulled from the creek.
"Thank you Dog." the Cat said when he had arrived to safety.
"Do not thank me yet!" The Dog barked. The Cat shrank back in fear. "The Master wants us to go straight home." The Dog growled. The Cat bowed her head in shame and walked towards the Dog. The Dog's fierce gaze on the Cat made even the Fox cringe. The Dog looked at the Fox, his eyes going from fierce to caring. "Friend Fox, please come stay a minute with my Master and I." The Fox and the Dog stared at each other. The Fox contemplated the Dog's offer like he hadn't before. The Fox's leg began to throb in pain from being out in the cold.
"I would like that." The Fox said quietly. The Dog yipped in excitement and went towards the Fox to carry him. The Fox flinched back and couldn't help the growl that came out. The Dog just whimpered and submissively bowed his head.
"Dog, can we go?" The Cat asked impatiently for he was very cold. The Dog just growled in response.
"She is right Dog. We need to get going." The Fox stated roughly. The Dog could see how thin and tired the Fox was, but he only nodded and lead the way to his Master's. When they were close they all saw the Master waiting at the gate. The Dog barked in excitement and ran ahead to greet Him. The Fox and the Cat continued slowly behind. When they reached the gate the Dog had finished greeting and reveling in his Master's presence.
"Good job Dog." The Master said in a soothing voice. The Master looked at the Cat. "I see that you had an early bath, but managed to get yourself even more dirty," The Cat cowered at the Master's gentle but firm voice. "Go inside the house and wait in the bathroom." The Master ordered. The Cat dejectedly walked inside the house. The Master looked at the Fox. He had half a mind to run but his throbbing leg was a constant reminder of why his was there.
"I'll only stay for a minute." The Fox thought. The Master slowly walked towards the Fox and the Fox began to tremble in fear. Since the Fox was wild, he wasn't use to someone showing him love so quickly. The Master picked the Fox up even as the Fox nipped His hand.
"Do not fear dear one. I know the pain you are in." The Master showed the Fox His hand. The Fox sniffed it for he was curious about the hole in The Master's hand. The Fox didn't even notice when the Master undid the wire around his leg quickly and had gently let him down. The Fox examined his leg in wonder. "You are free my dear Fox. You may go or you may stay the choice is yours." The Master smiled at the Fox before He turned and walked away. The Dog was beaming at the Fox before he followed his Master back into the house. The Fox gazed after them.
"I guess it wouldn't be bad to be a bit tamed." The Fox thought as he followed the Dog and his Master inside the house.
Romans 12:9-13
Ephesians 4:17-19
