Buz, the Hill Country Fox

A few years ago, I wrote a children’s imaginary tale about a fox and how the birth of Christ changed him. I meant to illustrate the story and bind it into two small books: one for my grandchildren and one for the grandchildren of a dear friend. Somehow, even though I finished it, it was never illustrated and has remained in its sort of primal state. Although it’s a children’s story, you adults might enjoy it or you might like to read it to a child. Anyway, I liked it and it has been a long, long time since I was a child.

Buz the Fox  

You see, it might have happened this way: once upon a time, about two thousand years ago, some foxes dwelt in the hill country and plains around Bethlehem. I hate to tell you this, but it was their custom to follow, at a discreet distance, the flocks of sheep that shepherds led here and there in search of the tastiest grass. To a fox, mutton was a first-rate meal, as tasty as field mice, but harder to catch.

One of the foxes was a small fellow whose name was Buz. His name meant someone who is looked down upon by others and, sadly, that was true. His brothers scoffed at him, made fun of him, and called him Buz the Scruffy One. Buz was smaller than most foxes and his tail, instead of being a proud, fluffy plume, was a sad little wisp of fur.

Most foxes have a regal coat of lovely red, white, and black. Buz’s coat was skimpy and a dull red. Because of his small size and scruffy looks, the other foxes, who were bullies, picked on him. You would think this would have made Buz try to keep on the good size of those other foxes but it did not. Buz, you see, was not into cringing and meekness. He just became slier and sneakier than any of the other foxes. To get even with their bullying, he played tricks on them, like tying their tails together while they slept and then yelling, “Earthquake!” Buz laughed about that for a week. I’m sure you will understand that Buz was somewhat of a loner. He avoided his brothers and they avoided him when they were not making fun of him.

So it was one night Buz was skulking around a herd of sheep, sniffing here, scurrying there, trying to find a shepherd who was asleep and a small lamb away from its mother. His stomach growled and he was about to give up on sheep in favor of field mice when something happened that stopped Buz in his tracks.

Without warning, an amazing light filled the whole sky. What was it, Buz wondered. It could not be the sun. Sunrise was hours away. This light dazzled and hurt his eyes. Buz’s fur stood straight up. A sound came out of the light, a sound like many voices.

The voices woke the shepherds as well as the sheep. Buz crouched behind a rock and listened and watched. The voices sang and shouted. They sounded happy but they sounded other-worldly too. Buz’s breath caught in his throat and his heart hammered against his ribs.

Some of the shepherds shielded their eyes. Some of them fell flat on the ground. Then, as suddenly as it began, the noise stopped and the light faded.

The shepherds began talking wildly to each other, pointing to the sky, and then pointing toward Bethlehem in the distance where moonlight danced off the tops of far-away houses. All but one of the shepherds, who stayed to guard the sheep, hurried off in the direction of Bethlehem.

Buz’s mouth watered. What an opportunity! Only one person stood guard over the whole flock of sheep. He could choose any fat little lamb he wanted for supper. But, something stirred inside of Buz, something besides hunger. You see, in addition to all the other things that made up the little fox named Buz, was a big hunk of curiosity. He just had to know the answer to what he had seen and heard. What did it mean? The shepherds seemed to think they could find that answer in Bethlehem so that’s where Buz would go too.

(Concluded tomorrow)

If you are still wondering what to get a special someone for Christmas, may I suggest a gift that doesn’t wear out, will be welcomed any time of the year, whose cost is nominal, and gives hours of enjoyment? My first five cozy mysteries are 99 cents for the ebook (The Cemetery Club is free as a Nook Book on Barnes and Noble) and $9.99 for print. The newest moonlight mystery, By the Fright of the Silvery Moon, is $4.97 and $14.97.