“The Fox and the Beaver”

By Ansh Shah, Grade 8

Once upon a time, Fox, Beaver, Crow, and Rabbit were sailing across a blue lake.

“Oh God! The ride is so boring,” Fox thought. “I may as well talk to one of these fellows. Not like it will benefit me but it shall just as well pass the time.”

The very learned fox tended to boast about his acquired knowledge to anyone who would listen.

“Hey! You there!” The fox pointed at the beaver. How is your day going?”

The beaver replied simply, “What is a goodie gang?”

Fox groaned inwardly to see the beaver, dumber than an ass, converse with Rabbit on subjects he didn’t understand.

“Dear beaver, have you read any books?” The fox asked in a polite tone.

“Don’t think I have,” Beaver replied. “I know not how to read nor write.”

“Ah, then a full quarter of life has been wasted,” the arrogant fox rebuked. “Very well then, thou must be educated upon animal species.”

“Well, not too much, sir,” Beaver replied nervously.

“Half of thy life… vanished in but a moment!” The fox exclaimed with surprise. “Yet, you must be educated upon our beloved history…?”

“Never ‘eard of it,” Beaver said calmly.

“Three quarters of your life… wasted! Might as well kill yourself and decrease the surplus population,” Fox arrogantly stated. The beaver lowered his head. Tears came to his eyes.

At that moment, a storm came and rocked the boat over. Crow screeched and flew off, saving himself. Rabbit hopped lily pads to safety. The beaver asked the fox, “My dear sir, I hope you know how to swim.”

“Nooo I don’t!” The fox cried out in panic and fear.

The beaver calmly said, “Don’t know how to swim? Then your whole damn life is gone, foxy!”

And with that the beaver swam off, saving himself, leaving the fox to drown.

The moral of the story is “Mental knowledge is not enough. One must acquire physical knowledge as well.”

-Sun Tzu, The Art of War