Freddie the Fox

“KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEK.” Paulie the Plovers called as he ran across the street to avoid the oncoming car and protect his wife Louise and their babies.

As Paulie stood on the grass, he stared the Old Man down as his car drove past. 

They had 3 little Plovers, Darcy, Milly and Archie, who were cute as a button, with their fluffy little coats and of course they looked just like his beautiful wife.

It’d been quiet a week in the community and Paulie was on high alert. His stress levels were out of control, as he’d had to move his family up onto the roof of the side shed at Number 22, just to be safe.

Paulie hadn’t seen anything like it for a while, so he wasn’t prepared when at dusk one evening, he saw something in the shadows, across the road on the open block.

Paulie watched as the creature slowly walked along the fence line and down into the creek. It was at the last minute that Paulie realised what he’d seen – it was Freddie the Fox!

 

Freddie hadn’t been around these parts before but he was young and keen to find a space that was just his. He was done hunting for food and never finding any because someone else had already eaten it. But tonight his nose was up and he was ready for a good meal.

As he slowly and quietly wandered down the creek, he stopped in the darkness, listening. There was nothing for him to do in this moment but listen.

He tuned into the owls hooting and the pigeons nestling into their hutches. Pigeons, like chickens, had a distinct smell and even though he was young, he knew the difference.

Then he heard some scratching, it was a bit further down the creek and he wondered what it was. He wondered if he was safe, but then he thought ‘no one can get me, I’m Freddie the Fox!’

Freddie continued down the creek, sussing it all out, there was no rush, he knew dinner was coming to him – even if his prey didn’t know it yet. Freddie chuckled at the thought.

Freddie stopped again, hiding in the darkness, away from the lights of the houses and listened. He could hear the barking of a dog not far away.

The scratching was also much louder, and Freddie slowly moved across to the other side of the creek to have a look at where it was coming from.

“Ohhhhh, dinner.” Freddie said quietly to himself.

Freddie’s tongue licked his lips and his drool ran off his chin, ‘chicken pie, my favourite!’

Freddie’s nose lifted and he started sniffing, there were a few chickens, the scent was strong but it wasn’t just strong where he was, he could smell them further down the creek too, ‘could that be chicken mousse for dessert?’ He wondered.

Out of the corner of Freddie’s eye he saw a dark silhouette wander silently across the grass, ‘Ohhh a cat, now that could be dessert,’ he smiled to himself, Freddie tongue was salivating, there were so many options.

The cat stopped, not far from him, and as if he knew something wasn’t right, he bolted back to his home.

“Bugger.” Freddie said, “another day.”

 

The Old Man was cooking his dinner. He enjoyed cooking but he liked it to be quick, he didn’t like things that involved lots of ingredients or lots of steps – the simpler the better and if he could eat it for a few nights, that was a winner for him.

Tonight he was grilling some marinated chicken and boiling up his veggies, potatoes, carrot and peas – simple but delicious.

“Should I have some gravy?” He asked Indie.

Indie didn’t even look up at him from the couch, she was oblivious that he’d even spoken, but as if she was quick like a flash, she jumped up, barking her head off and ran over to the back door.

“WOOF, WOOF, WOOF.”

She was pounding on the screen door and going off.

“Alright, settle down, I just asked you if I wanted gravy, no need for this carry on.”

Indie didn’t stop, she barked and barked.

The old man’s ears were hurting from all of Indie’s barking.

‘Enough,’ the old man yelled at Indie.

Again Indie didn’t stop.

The old man walked around the kitchen bench and closed the back door.

“What’s going on with you?”

Indie looked silently at the Old Man. She wanted him to understand that there was something out there, and that thing wasn’t good – no one was safe tonight.

The old man patted Indie on her head. Looking into her eyes he said “It’s ok girl.” He went off to make his gravy, it was gravy night tonight!

Indie watched the old man head back into the kitchen. She sat down at the door for the rest of the night. This isn’t good, Indie thought, she was worried.

 

“Ummmm Mum.” Noah called out to his Mum. She didn’t answer. 

“Muuuummmmm,” Noah yelled louder. She still didn’t answer.

“MUUUUMMMM.” Noah screamed loud enough to wake up the whole neighbourhood.

“Quieten down Noah, what’s wr…’ Vamika, Noah’s mum, didn’t have to finish her question, she could see the carnage and she knew immediately what he was going on about.

“AAGGGHHHH!” Vamika said quietly to herself looking at all the feathers that covered her backyard.

“Mum, is it?” Noah had walked closer to his mum, his voice was quivering and, like his mum, he already knew the answer but he hoped it wasn’t true.

“Yep.”

Vamika looked over to their chicken coup and the door was wide open, “bugger.” She knew that the feathers all over their yard were from their chickens, they’d been attacked.

Noah and his mum stood together cuddling, as tears ran down their faces.

They loved their chickens, they’d been such a delight to bring into their lives and Noah was so amazing at looking after them. Making sure they were locked up at night and then he’d get up first thing in the morning to let them out.

I wasn’t his fault and Vamika needed him to know that.

“These things happen mate, don’t stress.” Vamika looked down at Noah and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Well I guess we better see how many we lost, hey?”

Noah wiped the tears from his face, “yeah ok,” and they walked through the feathers together.

“There’s one.” Vamika said, pointing over towards the fence line.

“There’s another one,” Noah said. His mum couldn’t see it, “see, over there, near the lemon tree.”

“Ah yeah. I wonder where the others are?”

They looked all over the yard but couldn’t find any dead or alive chickens.

They messaged the Old Man to check if he’d seen their chickens, but after a head count at the Old Man’s place, he didn’t have any extras.

Vamika then called Marion to see if she’d lost any of her pigeons, but no they were fine too. It was just them. 

Marion did tell her that a fox had been seen in the area, so that could have been the culprit.

“Sounds about right,” Vamika said, given the damage.

They wandered out the front of their house to see if the fox had taken the chickens out there. They didn’t find any bodies, just occasional feathers on the lawn, but then Noah noticed something over the road.

It was on the end of Jodie and Henry’s place. As they crossed the road they knew it was one of their chickens. There were feathers everywhere and the body was left on the ground.

Vamika let out a big sigh. “Darling can you go and get a bag from the kitchen that we can put the chicken in?” Vamika asked Noah.

“Sure,” Noah ran off into his home and Vamika bent down to pick up as many feathers as she could.

“Is this yours?” A voice came from down the street.

Vamika looked up and saw the Old Man holding up another chicken.

She nodded, “I guess so.”

“Found it in my front lawn. How many did you lose?”

“All of them, well I think we did, we just have one more chicken to find.”

‘They only take the head, so if it’s dead or alive, it’ll be around here somewhere.”

“Cluck, cluck, cluck.”

Vamika and the Old Man both looked towards Vamika’s house. They couldn’t see anything but they could definitely hear clucking.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck.”

It was coming from a bush at the side of Vamika’s driveway.

Slowly a shaken little foot appeared, almost as if it was testing to see if it was safe to come out.

Then a head popped out and looked around, slowly, there was no fox running around, Fluffy stepped out from the bush and started walking back into her yard as if nothing had happened.

“Here mum.” Noah ran out the front door, towards his mum.

“Look,” Vamika pointed to Fluffy so Noah could see that one chicken had survived.

Noah turned his head, not sure if he was looking for the fox or something else, but then he saw her, “FLUFFY, you’re ok!” His heart was full.

Noah ran over to Fluffy, which scared her a bit, but then she realised it was Noah and she danced on the spot, fluffing out her wings. 

Noah picked up Fluffy and gave her a big hug and kiss.

“It’s ok Fluffy, I’ll look after you.”

Noah set up a bed for Fluffy in their enclosed back patio, where it was safe from foxes.

“She can’t stay in here mate, she’ll poo everywhere!” Vamika said to Noah.

“But Mum, she’s not safe out there.” His arm pointing to the backyard.

“Well is is mate we just need to lock her up more securely.”

Noah looked at his mum, pleading with her for Fluffy to stay inside.

“We don’t have to do it tonight, she can stay here, but she’s going to have to go back to her home tomorrow.”

That was a win for Noah, he knew he could keep working on his Mum and maybe get a few more nights inside for Fluffy. That was something he’d work on tomorrow.

“And Mum she can’t be alone, we’re going to have to get her some friends. You know they’re companion animals.”

Vamika laughed gently, “Yes I know they’re companion animals Noah. We could give her to the Old Man for now?”

“No Mum, he has enough chickens and she’s ours, let’s just go to town tomorrow and get more.”

“And what if they don’t have any mate?”

“They will Mum, trust me.”

The next day, Vamika, Noah and Noah’s brother and sister, all piled into the car. Going to town to buy a few more chickens.

 

That night, Freddie the Fox was sitting in the creek, assessing what he’d like for dinner – pigeon, cat, dog, when he got a whiff, “Mmmmm more chickens, they’re restocked.” He said to himself, his tongue dripping with saliva at the thought of it. “I liked my Chicken Pie the other night, I might go back for round two.”