WEASEL AND STOAT Episode 8
‘Dear Fox,’ said Weasel, ‘we are sorry for you. We would like to help you to get out of prison but how?’
‘Help me? No Weasel, this is were I ought to be. I am no good and that’s the truth. I stowed away, I stole food, I stole chickens off farmer Jake; I have done many bad things, Weasel. Oh! What is to become of me?’
‘We feel somehow responsible,’ said Stoat. ‘We should have helped you when you were homeless. We are the ones who are no good, Fox. You were homeless but we did nothing.’
‘Yes, we were too selfish, Fox. We might have let you stay in our place until we came back from our holidays.’
‘No, no, no! Don’t say such things! I am not a respectable Fox. How could I expect anyone to trust me with their home? Farmer Jake might have burned down your house! This is how it should be. I have reaped and I have sowed and now I must suffer many years in prison but I will reform, I will! I am a bad lot. I deserve to be locked up. I am a criminal. Yes, that is who I am, a criminal Fox.’
‘Oh Fox, it isn’t all your fault,’ said Weasel. ‘You have enemies. The hounds and their masters are to blame for many of your ancestors being homeless. It is cruel and Godless to set a pack of hounds on your parents just for fun.’
Fox began to cry bitter tears.
‘Yes, my father was hunted down and devoured by the hounds. It was awful. I escaped from the hounds but I saw it all and I can never forget how my father protected me and stood in front of me.’
‘That is terrible!’ exclaimed Stoat.
‘How dreadful’ said Weasel, who had seen the hounds
and their masters on horseback hunting the foxes.
‘But I can’t blame these misfortunes on the aristocrats, Weasel. I have done wrong and I must pay the price. But I will reform. I will come out of jail a new fox. No more stealing and no more killing chickens.’
Tears began to flow down Fox’s face.
‘We must go now but we will visit you again, Fox. Don’t give up hope. Something might be done to get you out of prison,’ Stoat said, sympathetically.
‘I don’t deserve anything to be done to get me out of prison. Don’t concern yourself with me. Enjoy your holiday and forget all about me. I am no good.’
It was more than Stoat could do to stop himself from crying.
‘We really must do something to help Fox,’ he said.
‘Mole! It’s you!’ exclaimed Weasel as they left the prison cell and walked down the corridor to the lift.
‘Yes, the captain wants to see you in his cabin. He has been listening to your conversation and he is most upset.’
‘Upset? I hope not. I hope he understands that we are neighbours of Fox. What else could we do but sympathize with him?’
‘Well, I won’t say anything but he was scowling when he left the prison.’
‘Oh dear!’ said Weasel.
‘I will take you there directly,’ Mole said.
Weasel and Stoat were shaking as they approached the captain’s cabin.
‘He may think we are accomplices,’ Stoat whispered.
‘What did you say?’ asked Mole. ‘Did you say you were accomplices?’
‘I hope the captain doesn’t think we are accomplices,’ Weasel said. ‘I couldn’t help sympathizing with Fox. Did you know that his father was killed by the hounds?’
‘I’m sorry to hear it,’ said Mole. ‘But don’t feel too sorry for Fox. I caught him stealing red handed.’
‘Oh,’ said Stoat, not knowing what to say.
Mole knocked on the captain’s door.
‘Come in!’ bellowed the captain. ‘So you have brought them. Well, come in and have a seat. I want to talk to you both.’
Weasel and Stoat sat down facing the captain. He sat in a huge chair and his eyes searched the faces of Weasel and Stoat.
‘If you were not neighbours of Fox I would say you were accomplices,’ he said sternly. ‘You are not accomplices are you? You didn’t put Fox up to stowing away on my ship?’
‘No, sir, we wanted Fox to apologise for getting left behind on board. We did not know he wanted to do that.’
‘But you did feel sorry for him, didn’t you?’
Weasel and Stoat both shuddered in their seats. Weasel imagined himself being chained and locked in prison with Fox, and Stoat thought the captain might make them walk the plank and be drowned in the sea.
After a great effort, Weasel whispered, ‘Yes, we did. He was homeless. Farmer Giles had removed the door from his house and it is winter.’
There was silence for a few minutes. The captain looked at them both very closely. Finally he said,
‘I would have been disappointed had you said you did not feel sorry for fox. Those hard hearted aristocrats and their hounds. I listened to it all. Mole!’
Mole stood up terrified. The captain’s voice was loud and angry.
‘Mole, here are the keys. Go down to the man at arms and tell him to set Fox free. Put him in the cabin next to Weasel and Stoat. But warn him never to do any more stealing on my ship.’
‘But he has no ticket,’ Mole said, shocked.
‘No he hasn’t. He is forgiven. I am allowing him to stay on board free. It’s because of his father, Mole. I am sure his father would be happy to hear that his son is a free fox. I won’t allow any hound ever on this ship. You may tell them so, Mole. No hounds, Mole.’
‘Yes, captain, yes, at once sir.’
Mole disappeared with the keys. Weasel and Stoat sat in front of the captain looking shocked and fearful. It all seemed hard to believe.
‘No,’ said the captain, ‘I want you all to dine with me tonight and afterwards we will all go on deck and look at the stars. Tonight is a clear sky. We will be able to see the big dipper.’
‘Oh!’ Exclaimed Weasel and Stoat.
Fox was set free and given a new suit of clothes. Mole explained it all to him not forgetting to say that he must never steal again. He was reunited with Weasel and Stoat and thanked them for their kindness and sympathy for he knew that without them he would still be in prison.
‘Dear Fox,’ said Weasel, ‘we are sorry for you. We would like to help you to get out of prison but how?’
‘Help me? No Weasel, this is were I ought to be. I am no good and that’s the truth. I stowed away, I stole food, I stole chickens off farmer Jake; I have done many bad things, Weasel. Oh! What is to become of me?’
‘We feel somehow responsible,’ said Stoat. ‘We should have helped you when you were homeless. We are the ones who are no good, Fox. You were homeless but we did nothing.’
‘Yes, we were too selfish, Fox. We might have let you stay in our place until we came back from our holidays.’
‘No, no, no! Don’t say such things! I am not a respectable Fox. How could I expect anyone to trust me with their home? Farmer Jake might have burned down your house! This is how it should be. I have reaped and I have sowed and now I must suffer many years in prison but I will reform, I will! I am a bad lot. I deserve to be locked up. I am a criminal. Yes, that is who I am, a criminal Fox.’
‘Oh Fox, it isn’t all your fault,’ said Weasel. ‘You have enemies. The hounds and their masters are to blame for many of your ancestors being homeless. It is cruel and Godless to set a pack of hounds on your parents just for fun.’
Fox began to cry bitter tears.
‘Yes, my father was hunted down and devoured by the hounds. It was awful. I escaped from the hounds but I saw it all and I can never forget how my father protected me and stood in front of me.’
‘That is terrible!’ exclaimed Stoat.
‘How dreadful’ said Weasel, who had seen the hounds
and their masters on horseback hunting the foxes.
‘But I can’t blame these misfortunes on the aristocrats, Weasel. I have done wrong and I must pay the price. But I will reform. I will come out of jail a new fox. No more stealing and no more killing chickens.’
Tears began to flow down Fox’s face.
‘We must go now but we will visit you again, Fox. Don’t give up hope. Something might be done to get you out of prison,’ Stoat said, sympathetically.
‘I don’t deserve anything to be done to get me out of prison. Don’t concern yourself with me. Enjoy your holiday and forget all about me. I am no good.’
It was more than Stoat could do to stop himself from crying.
‘We really must do something to help Fox,’ he said.
‘Mole! It’s you!’ exclaimed Weasel as they left the prison cell and walked down the corridor to the lift.
‘Yes, the captain wants to see you in his cabin. He has been listening to your conversation and he is most upset.’
‘Upset? I hope not. I hope he understands that we are neighbours of Fox. What else could we do but sympathize with him?’
‘Well, I won’t say anything but he was scowling when he left the prison.’
‘Oh dear!’ said Weasel.
‘I will take you there directly,’ Mole said.
Weasel and Stoat were shaking as they approached the captain’s cabin.
‘He may think we are accomplices,’ Stoat whispered.
‘What did you say?’ asked Mole. ‘Did you say you were accomplices?’
‘I hope the captain doesn’t think we are accomplices,’ Weasel said. ‘I couldn’t help sympathizing with Fox. Did you know that his father was killed by the hounds?’
‘I’m sorry to hear it,’ said Mole. ‘But don’t feel too sorry for Fox. I caught him stealing red handed.’
‘Oh,’ said Stoat, not knowing what to say.
Mole knocked on the captain’s door.
‘Come in!’ bellowed the captain. ‘So you have brought them. Well, come in and have a seat. I want to talk to you both.’
Weasel and Stoat sat down facing the captain. He sat in a huge chair and his eyes searched the faces of Weasel and Stoat.
‘If you were not neighbours of Fox I would say you were accomplices,’ he said sternly. ‘You are not accomplices are you? You didn’t put Fox up to stowing away on my ship?’
‘No, sir, we wanted Fox to apologise for getting left behind on board. We did not know he wanted to do that.’
‘But you did feel sorry for him, didn’t you?’
Weasel and Stoat both shuddered in their seats. Weasel imagined himself being chained and locked in prison with Fox, and Stoat thought the captain might make them walk the plank and be drowned in the sea.
After a great effort, Weasel whispered, ‘Yes, we did. He was homeless. Farmer Giles had removed the door from his house and it is winter.’
There was silence for a few minutes. The captain looked at them both very closely. Finally he said,
‘I would have been disappointed had you said you did not feel sorry for fox. Those hard hearted aristocrats and their hounds. I listened to it all. Mole!’
Mole stood up terrified. The captain’s voice was loud and angry.
‘Mole, here are the keys. Go down to the man at arms and tell him to set Fox free. Put him in the cabin next to Weasel and Stoat. But warn him never to do any more stealing on my ship.’
‘But he has no ticket,’ Mole said, shocked.
‘No he hasn’t. He is forgiven. I am allowing him to stay on board free. It’s because of his father, Mole. I am sure his father would be happy to hear that his son is a free fox. I won’t allow any hound ever on this ship. You may tell them so, Mole. No hounds, Mole.’
‘Yes, captain, yes, at once sir.’
Mole disappeared with the keys. Weasel and Stoat sat in front of the captain looking shocked and fearful. It all seemed hard to believe.
‘No,’ said the captain, ‘I want you all to dine with me tonight and afterwards we will all go on deck and look at the stars. Tonight is a clear sky. We will be able to see the big dipper.’
‘Oh!’ Exclaimed Weasel and Stoat.
Fox was set free and given a new suit of clothes. Mole explained it all to him not forgetting to say that he must never steal again. He was reunited with Weasel and Stoat and thanked them for their kindness and sympathy for he knew that without them he would still be in prison.
Watching the night stars and the Big Dipper