Fur, fangs, and freedom: A fox-tale

Her breath came in ragged gasps, her legs trembling from the relentless chase, death hot on her heels. Yet her mind—ah, it remained as clear as the silver-lit sky above. After all, she was a fox with huge ears like parachutes that could pick the slightest sound of the wind.

As Leela bolted through the untamed grass, her reddish-brown fur whipped against the sharp blades. The earth beneath her no longer felt like a woolly carpet. Instead, it was a field of swords slashing at her with every step. These wounds would last a ‘lifetime’— only if she survived today’s deadly game with the Dholu-Gang. The notorious pack of bloodthirsty wild dogs ruled the dense Samba jungle.

The other animals in the jungle dared not cross these foodies as they were friends of the lions. All they dreamt about was eating. Shomu Kaka, the eldest dog of the gang, spent hours eyeing the prey, while the other members listened closely to his commands and sprinted miles to catch the best boars. But for the past few days, their amber eyes had turned fiery red, consumed by anger as someone was stealing their kill. Every single night.

They hunted all day and then feasted on their catch, leaving the leftovers for a hearty breakfast the next morning. But when they rubbed their eyes at dawn, all they found was a carcass—picked clean. So, instead of lazing around and letting their tum-tums refill, they were forced to hunt, day after day. Despite being the jungle’s best hunters, they couldn’t catch their food bandit. Their biggest challenge — how they struggled to stay awake at night, mouths agape, eyes half-closed,  snores filling the air.

So, they kidnapped Meeru, the spy meerkat, from his burrow. Raju, the youngest and most ferocious of the canines, forced him onto his back and sped through the open bushes like the wind. The petrified meerkat was certain his heart would leap out of his chest and burst at any moment. The gang left him perched on a Keekar tree for two straight nights as their unwilling watchman. “What a disgrace to the night!” the owls on the opposite branch sneered as they watched him bob his head, neck jerking up and down. Meeru desperately tried to keep his eyes open, fighting off the pull of sleep.And just when he wished someone would pull his lashes, he saw a shadow swiftly moving around the feasted boar.

“A wolf—no, a hyena—no, wait, those big ears—Leelaaa!” he screamed. Meeru’s scream blared like an alarm—the canines, more savage than ever, were jolted from their slumber too — they were already deprived of their early morning  feast.

“Call upon the heavens, you fox!” with a growl, the gang dropped to all fours to tear their sinner apart.

Leela ran past the grassland, sprinted through the steep terrain, stumbling over the rubble. Her toe oozed blood but the Dholus were relentless. She knew it wouldn’t be possible to outrun these beasts physically, her mind was just looking out for a strategic escape.

As she climbed up the hill, her body slipped back, but she summoned her full strength to pull herself up. And just then, her eyes fell on an old abandoned cave. With no signs of life around, she thought it would be the perfect hideout—what a sigh of relief it was!

Her muscles burned, and her parachute-like ears drooped from exhaustion. The canines were still hounding her; they had seen her sneaking into the cave. She slipped into the cool cave to recover her breath. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, her breath paused, and her heart froze.

There was an old wolf couple in one corner of the cave—reminiscing about their hunting days with the pack that had now abandoned them because of their melodic howl—almost like they played a piano with their voice, each note shifting with breath.

Their sunken eyes met with Leela’s. One slip of a paw, and she would be torn into pieces by these wrinklies (old habits die hard) —even before the Dholus reached. Flattery, a honeyed voice, and a fake bond—were all she used to outwit her fate.

“My beloved mother-in-law! I pay my regards to you.” Leela moved hesitantly towards the lady wolf and gave her a hug. The lady wolf smiled, revealing her missing molars.

“Oh, my daughter! What made you come to us?” The gesture of someone coming to pay their respects overwhelmed the lady wolf.

Leela finally thanked her stars as the lost-tooth smile wiped all her fears. 

“You see, my girl is married to Raju from the Dholu gang. She came to meet me, and these dogs have now come before the full moon to take my girl with them. I have not made any preparations for their feast. Could you please ask daddy wolf to tell them to come on the full moon night?” She wove a pretentious story so flawlessly that it sounded like undeniable truth. The beasts had now reached the threshold of the cave. But suddenly, the growls muted. They paid attention to the musical sound of the wolves and Leela’s whispers.

“Yes. How can they arrive before the promised time? Let me shoo them away!” the old wolf huffed as he saw Leela in distress.

Puffed with pride, he marched towards the cave’s entrance. Why wouldn’t he? It was the first time someone had given him so much importance, unlike the other wolves who ignored him for his mesmerizing howl.

“Listennnnooo, doggies…” the old wolf looked down at the ground and raised his head slowly as he started to utter his words of wisdom.

Before he could complete his sentence, impatient Raju pounced on the old wolf’s saggy neck. Shomu Kaka tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The lady wolf limped hastily to rescue her spouse, but he was already lying still on the ground.

Meanwhile, Leela spotted a crack in the cave that led to the other side of the mountain. She quietly slipped out into the open grasslands and swore never to return   to the Samba jungle that day.