The fox growled.
Not with his throat, but with his small round belly. Dinner time again so soon. Time to begin the hunt.
> Sniff around in the [[meadow->A floral meadow]].
> Wander around in the [[woods->A rustling oak]].
Hmm. Damp paws, what a tragedy. There better be something delicious around here to make this indignity worth it.
An old rotted log near the water provided a few tasty grubs but nothing satisfying. Perhaps tomorrow, thought the fox, I will dine on my friends, but this will do for now.
Ah. Primroses. Smelly and offensively yellow. Good for nothing but blocking the scents of other more tasty morsals.
The fox nosed around here and there. Was that a hint of [[rabbit musk->Inedible Friends]] on the breeze? Could he detect the unnecessarily cheerful melody of a [[small songbird->Singing the Blues]]?
Trees aren't so bad. They're big and quiet, and they keep the rain off you for a while, until half an hour later when they multiply the drops into bigger splats.
A lot of creatures live in the woods. Some of them disturb the stillness by screaming at the top of their lungs like jerks. Some of them buzz around angrily like they own the joint.
Life is difficult when you are surrounded by inconsiderate people who have their own agendas and don’t want to be your lunch.
> Shout back at the [[crow->Caw caw]].
> [[Stalk the bee->Flying horror]] for honey.
"What are you shouting for, you feathery annoyance?" shouted the fox annoyingly.
"Oh hello there," said the crow, looking down his long chiselly beak. "I see you are still butting into other people's business."
"Can you keep quiet for a while, I'm trying to conduct a hunt down here."
"I see. Well I am calling out to tell my companions that there is a dangerous predator in the area."
The fox felt a little glow in his heart. Finally word was spreading about what a terrifying and awe-inspiring hunter he was.
"I will spare this noble bird for now," he thought, "and he can continute to spread the word about my formidable self."
He set out to explore another area, perhaps the [[stream->A gurgling stream]] or the [[meadow->A floral meadow]].
"Hey, be careful out there, a wolf is passing though the area," croaked the crow as the fox disappeared.
These yellow flying things often lead to a hidden cache of honey.
This particular yellow flying things noticed the fox following him and came to an abrupt halt, inches from his nose and unleashed a tirade of abuse that the fox only heard as a whiny buzz.
Then he realised his mistake. This was not a friendly, hard-working bee, this was a vicious wasp, who suddenly came to the end of his rant, stung the fox on his most tender and precious snout and flew off at speed.
Well.
Too much sugar is bad for teeth anyway, thought the fox sourly, and he made up his mind to try somewhere less hostile.
> Set off for the [[meadow->A floral meadow]].
> Head towards the [[stream->A gurgling stream]].
The rabbit scent led to a small grassy knoll emitting a massively contented sigh. A rabbit was stretched out in the sunlight, and he opened one lazy eye as the fox approached.
"Hey," said the fox all casual-like. "I was wondering if you were available for lunch."
"'Fraid not," said the rabbit, and the *instant* he opened his mouth an overpowering wave of aroma forced the fox to stagger backwards. "Found a patch of wild garlic this morning, and I'm all full up. Maybe tomorrow? There's a nice patch of clover growing by the old willow."
"No…thanks…" gasped the fox, backing away further. "Maybesomeothertimebye."
The fox turned tail and fled for the safety of the [[woods->A rustling oak]].
The fox crept up beside a small, singing shrub.
"Who's in there?" he asked quietly, "Won't you come out and play?"
"Oh, hi there," said the shrub, "I'm hiding in here because I heard there was a dangerous predator about, maybe we could play later?"
The fox noted how thorny and vicious the bush was, with extra brambles growing around the edges. A veritable fortress. Easier to move on to greener pastures.
> Try the [[woods->A rustling oak]].
> Visit the [[stream->A gurgling stream]].