Storytelling Week 6: The Fox's Fire and the Spoiled Farmer

There once lived a young farmer in Macau, China; he never wanted for anything

Xiang Chi Chan received the family farm after his father died. He hired men to tend the land while he  watched from the comfort of his home. Every day Xiang would walk around town and then make his way back home. Today though he took a different journey home. This route took him by a wealthy man's home.

His house contained several gardens spread out over many acres of land. When he had passed the third garden he saw a light.

Sunset in Macau, China

(Source: Pixabay)

"What is that strange glow?!" he asked to no one in particular.

His intrigue was such that he could not contain his curiosity. Xiang creeped silently toward the light. He climbed the small garden wall and that's when he saw the strange dog. As he inched closer to the animal he realized it was a fox.

The fox sat there... looking at the moon. It was an odd sight to just watch a fox sitting motionless. But then it started breathing in and out, and with every exhale a ball of fire escaped his mouth. Then when he inhaled, the fire would come back to his mouth and he would clench it in his teeth.

The farmer's desires for the ball of fire were growing stronger the longer he sat there watching. He had never not had what wanted. And he wanted the ball of fire.

It finally dawned on him that the ball of fire was actually the elixir of life.

Xiang knew he would not be happy without the elixir. He made up his mind in that instant he would have to take it from the fox.

He rushed the fox and stole the elixir. The fox sat there, paralyzed.

"Why have you done this horrible act?" the fox asked in defeat.

Xiang replied that always gets what he wants and since he wanted the fire ball, he decided to take it.

The fox laid down, defeated. His entire life had been devoted to making the elixir of life and now his future and his life was altered and changed forever.

The farmer left with the elixir and lived his life in splendor. He became the richest man in Macau.

The fox searched for years and years, and finally found the farmer thirty years later...

But that's a different story.

Author's Note: I chose this story because I thought it was an interesting one. The fox made the elixir of life and the farmer stole it and became obsessed with riches and fancy things.

Bibliography: This is from the Chinese Fairy Tales unit. The Fox -Fire was edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by  Frederick H. Martens (1921).