Decisions

Decisions

Fox woke up. It was early, the sky still dark. Fox thought about going back to sleep, but his tummy growled. His last meal had barely satisfied his hunger, and the night left him empty again. He got up, kicking the leaves away, his pillow for the night.

He'd wandered further than usual. Winter was coming and Fox had to find a better place to live. He’d already experienced one winter, and remembered how hard it was to find food then. Summers were so lively in the park, he always found food, tossed by the humans. But as the air got colder, the humans got more sparce, less inclined to leaving food everywhere.

This place was new, he'd only arrived yesterday spending the afternoon looking for a place to hide and sleep. It was very park-like, but also many houses. He found one house with an opening underneath, perfect for sleeping. Perhaps his winter home, if there was a food source nearby.

Quietly peering out, he saw a table like they had at the park. Quite often with food underneath that had fallen or been tossed by the humans! He went over, but there was not even a smell of food there.

Suddenly he heard a growl! Turning quickly, there was a dog, a dog not on a leash like at the park. It stood, staring at him. He didn’t know what to do, so he bolted! The dog barked and ran after him! Stopping at the street, barking as Fox slipped away. Fox kept running, not stopping till he got back to the park. His park.

Yes, food was scarce here, but dogs were always leashed. Fox made a decision right then and there; safety was better than easy food.

And so, Fox lived a long and happy life.