Hello,
Beautiful soul.
You are here.
You are safe.
You are ready to rest.
In a wide,
Green forest,
Under the shade of tall trees and soft sunlight,
Lived a quiet fox named Fen.
Fen had golden fur and thoughtful eyes that saw much more than what was outside.
He moved gently,
Listened often,
And rarely spoke.
He was loved by all the animals in the forest,
Not because he was fast or strong,
But because he was kind,
Truly kind.
One year,
The rains came late,
The earth cracked,
The rivers thinned,
And the humans from the nearby village became worried.
They believed offering animals to their king might bring back the rain,
So they built traps deep and hidden in the outer part of the forest.
Every day,
An animal was taken away.
The forest grew quiet,
Afraid.
The animals gathered in the clearing under a grey tree.
What can we do?
Asked the rabbit.
We must hide,
Cried the squirrel.
No,
Said Fen,
Calmly.
We cannot live in fear.
We must come together.
We must take turns.
The animals looked at him in silence.
Each day,
Fen continued,
One of us will go forward with courage.
We will offer ourselves,
Not because they take us,
But because we walk with choice and dignity.
It was quiet,
But the animals agreed,
They trusted Fen,
So they began.
Each day,
An animal volunteered.
The rest stayed hidden,
Safe,
And fed each other.
The forest became still,
Scared,
Like a prayer.
One morning,
It was a young doe,
Stern.
She was trembling.
She had never left her mother before,
As she stepped into the trapped path.
Fen stopped her.
No,
He said.
Today,
I will go.
But you're our leader,
Said the crow.
Fen simply smiled.
I'm also a part of you.
He walked,
Calmly,
Through the trees,
His paws soft on the earth.
He reached the edge,
Where the humans waited,
And then he sat.
He did not run,
He did not hide.
When the king saw the fox sitting there,
Not afraid,
He was surprised.
Why do you come alone?
The king asked.
By coming peace,
Fen said.
I come by choice,
So others may live.
The king stood silent.
His heart,
Hard for many years,
Felt something stare.
He had seen animals run,
Cry,
Fight,
But never this.
This was grace.
The king kneeled down.
He looked into Fen's eyes,
And for the first time,
He bowed.
You are wiser than I,
The king whispered.
I will take no more.
He turned to his guards.
All traps must be taken.
And so they were.
Fen returned to the forest.
The trees whispered as he passed.
The wind carried his name,
And the rain,
A rain,
Finally came.
The forest was alive again.
The rivers danced,
The animals sang in quiet joy.
Fen never asked for thanks.
He simply sat beneath his favorite trees,
Watching the clouds pass,
Listening to the world breathe.
Sometimes,
The youngest animals would sit beside him and ask,
Were you afraid?
And he would smile and say,
Courage isn't the absence of fear.
It's choosing love,
Even when fear is near.
Now take a breath,
Like Fen,
Breathe in gently,
Hold it softly,
And let it go.
You too have quiet courage,
You too hold peace,
And like the forest,
Your heart can bloom again and again.
Rest now,
Let the stillness find you.
You are safe.
You are home.
