I had a dream last night...
I saw the Fox, late in the afternoon, coming out of the woods near the Golden Princess' castle.
Slipping through a hole in the wall, he swiftly crept up to one of the windows, hearing the voice of the Princess herself:
"But Mother, I told you. He is my betrothed. The one the Golden Bird sang about!"
Yet the queen just shook her head. "We have no way of knowing that. He tried to take you away in the night! Your personal guards are lucky they won't be losing their heads."
"Then is it really necessary to give him such an impossible task?"
Her mother replied "If he really is your betrothed, then he will find a way."
"And if not?"
"Let's just wait and see what happens first."
Leaving them, the Fox went back through the fence, and across the front wall, looking for where the boy might be.
Finally, he found the Prince digging a hole into a large hill, one of about a dozen, scattered about.
"I have been looking everywhere for you." explained the Fox. "What happened with the Princess?"
The boy looked at him with a rather annoyed expression. "She has once again returned to the safety of her castle. I was caught yet again. But this I'm sure you already knew."
"Then what is this you're doing? Is this digging your punishment?"
"No." replied the Prince. "The king said that I must move this hill from his view of the valley by tomorrow morning. Only then may I gain the hand of the Princess, or else be charged with her kidnapping and endangering her life!"
The Prince wearily scooped up two more shovel-fulls of dirt, before crying out in frustration and throwing his utensil down, falling to his knees. "What kind of task is this?! The king will surely have my head for even touching the Princess."
The Fox calmly shook his head. "I did not speak my warning for no reason. But I know that you are a good lad, and I wish to help you." Looking up to see how low the sun was, he told the boy "Go lie down under that tree. Get your rest, and I will take care of this task for you."
The Fox waited until the Prince had fallen asleep, then began to whistle a most haunting melody, but of a different tune than the one that had put the guards to sleep.
And suddenly the trees and bushes nearby rustled with movement, as wolves, foxes, and bears emerged. Along with wild boars, hedgehogs, and squirrels. And out of the ground there even came moles and shrews.
"My brothers and sisters, aid me this final time, for the conclusion of my own quest is now in sight!"
–Charles M Warren
