When I met a jackalope...
"Tell us about it again father," said the youngest of the group. He sat back so quietly after that that his father seemed to be able to do little more than appease the boy's rapt attention with the tale.
"You have heard it all before, of the strange day many summers ago. Most still think I am a bit touched, but I swear to you that what I say is real," said the eldest fox as he sat back in his chair. He smiled and gave a small laugh as his three son's scooted closer to his feet to hear every word. "Well, it goes a little bit like this..."
"Before you children were born, when I myself were just a bit older than you, I thought it would be fun to spend a day rabbit hunting. Now, where I was raised, rabbits were a tad scarce and catching one was a sign you were a skilled tracker. Now, a skilled tracker could make lots of money in those days, so I decided I would try my hand at it. Needless to say, I thought I was the best there ever was.
"Well, as the day wore on, I found a rabbit or two amongst the brush. However, I couldn't catch a one because every time I tried getting close to one my stomach would start a growling at the thought of eating it. Now them rabbits are good at hearing and the second my stomach took to growling they took to running. After a while, I about gave up and decided to head back towards home; at least a few hours walk. On my way though, something made a sound in the brush nearby. So, being the curious creature I was, I went and stuck my head in the bush.
"There was a rabbit, or so I thought, sitting by a little stream I had never noticed before. Now, where most rabbits are quiet as mice in church, this one was just a singing his head off. When he was outta words to sing, he took to whistling. Truth be told, I was a bit caught up in the music and the sight of this little rabbit, his head back against a bush, singing like he was in the choir. In fact, he might just have kept on singing if I had started to hum along.
"Soon as he caught the sound of my voice, he turned to me and got this real big grin on his face. That's when I noticed it. He had antlers sticking out of his head, or rather out of the old worn hat he had on his head. Needless to say it gave me a bit of a start and I fell back onto my tail; and wouldn't you know it that critter started a-laughin' his head off. Now, this got me a bit hot tempered and I snapped at him in anger. To tell you the truth boys, I wish I had never done that.
" 'Calm yourself down now,' the thing said, 'I didn't mean no harm in my laughing. It just ain't every day you see a fox round these parts.' He smiled again and stared at me from his place by the stream. 'You looking hungry fox, and your belly sounds about empty. I'm guessing that means you plan on trying to eat me now, right?'
"Now, I was stunned at this point. First I see a rabbit with antlers sticking outta its hat, then it starts talking to me. You can see now why most folks think I got a bit too much sun that day. Well, I stepped through the bush and said, 'That's right. I'm gonna catch ya, kill ya, and eat ya right here. Then I'll take your head back to town to show them those horns a-stickin' outta your head. So, I suggest you just stay right there and let me finish ya real quick.'
"The thing just laughed again and said, 'Problem in your thought process there fox. You gotta catch me first, and ain't no critter on earth fast enough to catch a jackalope.' He stood and tapped his foot on the ground real fast and said, 'You can try if you want, don't bother me none, but you just ain't gonna be able to catch me no matter how fast you run.'
" 'I can catch you before you can even think of a prayer for your soul Mr. Jackalope,' I said to him, setting up for a real good run. Before I even let him get another word in, I leaped and snapped at his neck. Problem was, by the time my teeth closed shut there was nothing there anymore. I stood and looked around and there was that jackalope sitting across the stream, just a nibblin' away on some grass sprouts.
" 'Tell you what,' he said to me, 'if you can take the hat from my head I will gladly lay back and let you bite me as much as you want till I am dead. If you can't, you will go back home and tell everyone of the day you tried and failed to catch a jackalope. Deal?'
"I looked at him for a moment, then up his head to the hat. Finally, with a grin of my own, I said, 'Fine, and then I'll wear your hat as a trophy so everyone knows of the day I killed and ate me one of you jackalopes,' I said back to him. He just nodded and stood there, waiting for me to make my move. So I did make a move and boys you should have seen me go. I took off after him in a flash and to this day I ain't never been able to run so fast again.
"I chased him for hours, across fields and rivers, nearly caught him a few times I think, but he always seemed to be too far outta reach. Finally, I was sure he was gonna get away from me and I started slowing down. Suddenly though, he stops right in front of me and takes his hat off, pitching it back and landing it square on my head. I couldn't say nothing, cause to be honest I had no idea what he was doing. Suddenly, I saw what he was telling me.
"With his hat off, he had no antlers. He was just a regular old rabbit and nothing more. Sitting back, he just smiled at me as he nodded and said, ;Like I told you boy, ain't no one ever caught a jackalope and here's the reason why. We have our antlers only when we want them. When I took off my hat, I showed you all that I really was without them and now you stand there in shock to think that a regular rabbit outran you. Keep this in mind boy and it will serve you well. Never think you are the best, and never go looking for glory. Glory will find you in its own right and own way.
" 'Now go back to your town and tell them that you caught yourself a rabbit, and you will be held in glory. Or you can go back and say you were outrun by a jackalope and they won't believe you. In the end though, you take away a strong lesson from today and that will keep you fed much longer than any one rabbit will. Never think that you are the best, cause someone is always better.' With that, he hopped over to me and snagged his hat back off my head. Putting it on, he ran off, leaving behind the body one a large dead rabbit. He looked back at me for a moment with a smile on his face. Then, he just turned and ran off into the grass, never to be seen again. I looked down at the rabbit, thinking back to how they would say I was a good tracker, skilled and better than most for the size of the rabbit I could take them. In the end, I just ate my fill of it and walked back to town, leaving the rest of it behind.
"So boys, next time you go out looking for glory you keep a sharp eye out for Mr. Jackalope. If you think you need to be special, need to be famous and honored, he will prove you wrong. He taught me that lesson by running me in circles. Next, just remember that perseverance and a bit of stubbornness will get you some reward in the end. Just like the dead rabbit the jackalope left behind for me to eat. Finally, always think before you act. I easily could have taken that rabbit back and say I caught it myself, but in the end I woulda been a liar and woulda learned nothing of the lessons the jackalope was trying to teach me. Remember that boys, and you will do well in this world."
With that, the fox shut his eyes for a moment and sighed happily, his children smiling as they said their good nights and walked off to bed. Alone now, the fox said softly, "See, I still remember your lessons."
From somewhere in the darkness of the room, a familiar laugh rang out and someone said, "Good boy fox, good boy." With that, the fox was left alone and the jackalope watched him no more.