Blufox & Grenwig

From atop a petrified stump an earwig calls out to a fox.

The brilliant blue fox approaches cautiously and asks, ‘I’m Blufox. What’s your name?’

‘I’m Grenwig the green earwig. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.’

‘What are you doing atop this splintered tower?’

‘I’m here to bet you I can beat you to the Red Rocks town over yonder…’

‘And what do I get if I win?’

‘All the finest luxuries. They have the best waxed cheeses, with waxed paper bread, and butter.’

‘Anything more to float a fox in heat?’

‘How about the finest domesticated cats and cheesy maggots not fit for human consumption!’

‘Done.’

‘But wait, there’s something important I must tell you, come close…’

The fox turns his head and leans in with his good ear to listen to Grenwig. As Grenwig starts whispering a fantastic fuchsia fox emerges from the bushes and scampers into the woods.

Blufox, stunned, boldly chases after her.

He’s soon lost amidst the foreign woods between here and Red Rocks. He narrowly chases laughter from behind a shrub and sees the fuchsia fox laying in a nest, panting and sweating. Blufox approaches with full nerves. One paw carefully after another he skulks around the branch wreath and lies next to her, and they start interweaving. His flaring upturned snout nudges hers. They rub each other’s whiskers. Mixing sweat of the day with interlocking ears. He gives a sigh and, ‘Humphs,’ deeply into her neck. Shoulder on shoulder. Head on head. Till they fall asleep.

Blufox is woken to a gunshot sound and a hunter stomping on their nest.

The hunter throws the fuchsia fox over his ear and kicks at Blufox.

‘I’ll sell her at market tomorrow. Your colour’s no good!’

The hunter retreats to his truck.

‘I never got to know your name…’ Blufox whines at the truck as it pulls away.

Blufox continues up the path toward Red Rocks.

He tracks human signs till nearing a small town by the coast.

The blue fox, now muddy and bloody, limps his way into town.

He tracks the rising sun to the market.

At the market Blufox encounters Grenwig smirking at the fur dealers by fuchsia fox’s strung up pelt.

‘How’d you make it here so quick? You wriggle in earth. You couldn’t possibly be here before me!?’

‘Ah, but it was hearing how I got here in the first place. Your fuchsia bride had a death wish playing in those woods. That’s why I got you to carry me as fast as possible. For as far as possible I needed. I listened to every ear that came by. I got inside their heads and that’s how I beat you!’

‘What was your prize if you won?’

‘My only prize was to escape. But seeing who and what you lost, I’ve lost less yet feel I’ve lost more.’

‘So, who wins?’

‘You do, Blufox. To have and to have lost is better to have never had at all.’

‘What were you trying to tell me before SHE came along?’

‘I was trying to tell you there’s no wig too small for this ‘ere!’