World for All

‘In five short days, our beautiful trees were gone, our home was gone our families got displaced,’ the little Mamma mouse cried. ‘There is nowhere we can go now.’ She was looking up at the Fox with teary eyes holding her children close to her. The Fox looked down at Mamma mouse and the hundreds of different families of rodents who had suddenly barged into her peaceful evening.

The Fox had seen this before - twice. Every few years, the city would walk into the forest, swipe it clean and call it its own. The displaced families from the forest could either move inwards or perish when the giant hands cleared the earth of the greens. For the displaced families, it was very difficult to find help in a foreign territory and most would perish.

This time also it looked the same to the Fox. The animals were scared, they did not have a leader and the internal part of the Reserve was infamous for fierce infight for keeping territory stronghold. They did not stand a chance.

The destruction had pushed the rodents into the territory of Cobra King. The chaos around the border area had made the Cobra family temporarily move towards the heart of the Reserve but it was about time they would decide to come back – the rodents were on the run which meant easy food for them. Word spread faster than fire in the jungle.

It was during one of the night meetings after the chaos that Mamma mouse suggested speaking to Fox Wise and seeking her help. Fox Wise was a loner and not known for helping. Mamma mouse was suggesting asking her help actually for the same reason. Since Fox Wise was a loner, she roamed around a wider area in the Reserve and no one really felt threatened by her presence. She was a survivor and could find a way to get a new home for them. The challenge was how to get her to agree to help them. As the families slowly started seeing reason in what Mamma mouse was suggesting, she involuntarily became their leader.

Fox Wise was what her name signified. Though she didn’t care about the rodent or their families, she did not want them following her around either. Getting these families to the interior was a pain since she would have to resort to favors and she was not sure if she would get any and even if she would she might not be interested to take any.

‘You should meet Cobra King and his brothers,’ Fox Wise advised Mamma mouse. 'You can talk to them and figure out a way to co-exist here.'

‘We might as well go to the city and take our chances, we cannot live with a sword hanging on our heads,’ Mamma mouse said among the concerned whispers from the rodent families. They knew the Cobra family could not be trusted. Even if they agree to a truce, they would eventually go against their word.

‘Take my advice or get out of here,’ growled Fox Wise. ‘If you want to take chances in the human world, go ahead. Do tell your surviving generations that you once lived free and in a place you called home.’

‘But there is no way the Cobra family will keep the truce even if they agree to one. And you know that.’ Mamma mouse pleaded at Fox Wise. ‘You have to help us.’

‘That’s what I am doing.’ Fox Wise grinned. ‘Listen up,’ she said to the group. Her eyes were gleaming as if she had got on to something.

‘I will talk to Cobra King and convince him to meet you all. You have to meet them in the clearing during the daytime, not in here. Figure out few of you who are ready to meet them. I will have Cobra King and his two brothers come to the meeting. The rest of the family is under their control and will agree to what they say.’ Fox Wise advised.

On the following day, ten rodents came together to go to the meeting. Mamma mouse was one of them and the reason why they agreed to this crazy plan in the first place. They slid away from the vegetation to the destroyed lands, where their homes once belonged. There they waited, hiding among the scattered earth and giant human tools careful not to alert the humans.

As promised, Fox Wise came to the clearing. As they strained their eyes, they saw the gleaming slithering reptiles, three of them, following Fox Wise. They were moving fearlessly. The rodents could hear their hearts beating in their heads. It was Hope that kept them from scattering away in the face of this peril.

As the reptiles started closing in, Fox Wise suddenly sped towards the rodents. Mamma mouse could not gauge what Fox Wise was trying to do. She had already resigned to her fate and was prepared for the worst. The reptiles were moving fast now. As soon as they neared the giant tools, Fox Wise started to bark restlessly. This caught Cobra King by surprise and he hooded up high, looking around. That’s when Mamma mouse and Cobra King both realized what was happening. Before anyone could react, humans came out of nowhere and pelted the reptiles until they were motionless. The rodents were motionless all through this as Fox Wise had instructed. They never came out of their hiding.

After the commotion receded, the rodents slowly scurried back to the vegetation and were greeted with cheers by their families. Fox Wise followed them with equally louder cheer.

‘The Cobra family will not bother you anymore. They have deserted this place now that their leaders are not around anymore. I hope you will be able to call this place home till another Armageddon arrives. Do not bother me anymore.’ Saying this Fox Wise walked away from the ever thankful rodent folks.