This animal, which resembles a small dog, is widely distributed over
the colder portions of both continents. There are several species, as
the red, gray, black, silver, arctic, &c. In all ages and countries,
the fox has been remarkable for his cunning, and, from the time of AEsop
to the present day, has figured, in allegory and fable, as the
personification of artifice and duplicity.
_Fruitless Enterprise._--A fox finding himself hard run by the hounds,
at a hunt in Ireland, ran up a stone wall, from which he sprang on the
roof of an adjoining cabin, and mounted up to the chimney-top. From
that elevated station, he looked all around him, as if reconnoitring
the coming enemy. A wily old hound approaching, and having gained the
roof, was preparing to seize the fox, when, lo! renard dropped suddenly
down the chimney. The dog looked wistfully down the dark opening, but
dared not pursue the fugitive.
Meanwhile renard, half enrobed in soot, had fallen into the lap of an
old woman, who, surrounded by a number of children, was gravely smoking
her pipe, not at all expecting the entrance of this abrupt visitor.
"_Emiladh deouil!_" said the affrighted female, as she threw from
her the red and black quadruped. Renard grinned, growled, and showed
his fangs; and when the huntsmen, who had secured the door, entered,
they found him in quiet possession of the kitchen, the old woman and
children having retired, in terror of the invader, to an obscure corner
of the room. The fox was taken alive without much difficulty.
_Unavailing Artifice._--Two gentlemen in New Jersey went out to hunt
rabbits. In a low, bushy swamp, the dogs started a fox, and off they
went in swift pursuit. After a chase of two miles, he entered a very
dense thicket, and, making a circuit of the place, returned to the
point whence he first started. The dogs closely pursuing the fox, he
again started for the thicket, when one of the sportsmen shot at him,
and he fell apparently dead at his feet. As he stooped to pick him up,
however, he rose upon his legs and escaped. For two hours and a half,
the thicket was the scene of the wiles of renard; but at last he was
taken, and, being carried home by the men, was thrown, apparently quite
dead, into the corner of the room.
The family sat down to supper. Finding them all busily engaged, he
ventured to reconnoitre, and had cautiously raised himself on his fore
legs for the purpose, but, on finding himself observed, resumed his
quiescent state. One of the party, to ascertain whether the fox was
alive or not, passed a piece of lighted paper under his nose; but the
inanimate stone or log appeared not more senseless at that moment.
Finding all attempts to get away unavailing, renard submitted to his
destiny with a very good grace, and the next morning was as well as
ever, bating a slight wound in the shoulder and a dirty skin.
_Unexpected Resentment._--Some country people in Germany once caught a
pike, but in conveying it home during the night, it escaped. As it was
a large fish, they returned with torches to secure their prize, and
after some time found it on the grass, having fast hold of a fox by the
nose. The animal caught in this novel trap made every effort to escape,
without success; and it was not until the pike was killed, that it was
possible to separate them. It seems that, after the pike was dropped by
the fisherman, renard came across it, and in paying his addresses to
it, was received in the manner we have described.