Reynard and Ysengrin in the Well

[lhexa]

I have something that should make you laugh, if you have ears that can both hear and appreciate the half-mad antics of beasts at play. One day Reynard the Fox was searching throughout the forests and plains for something to eat, but had so far found none of his sort of food. There was a severe famine in his part of the world, and every animal still alive had begun to feel the pain of hunger. Having hunted well into the night, and gone far beyond his usual pastures, Reynard spied an abbey of monks adjoining a farmstead. It had an enclosure well-stocked with fattened capons, exactly the right type of food to suit the fox. Reynard made for it, eager for the attack, not reining himself in until he could reach the chickens.

At a ditch he stopped, ready for plunder. But he could not get at them: round and round the farm he ran, but without finding any bridge or plank or opening to get him past the boundary. Then he crouched in front of the main door and noticed the wicket gate ajar, with the way in quite clear. He made for it and leapt through. Reynard found himself in a very risky situation, because if the monks were to catch him, they would kill him or at least keep him captive. He considered leaving, and restricting his hunt to whatever wild game might be found, but his hunger made him desperate. Three hens were perched nearby, not seeing the creeping fox: they were soon eaten.

Now as Reynard started to leave, he came across something that he had never seen before. In the middle of the yard was a hole dug deep into the ground, surmounted by pulley, chain and beam: it was a well, and it supplied the monks with water from the depths. Reynard saw it and ran over to it and stared deep into it. It was an amazing thing. In the well there were two buckets; when one came up the other would come down, ensuring that there would be no thirst among the monks. The smell of cool water far below reached Reynard, and nearly drove him mad with thirst: for though his thievery had brought him a full stomach, he had not thought about his other needs. He was not cautious at the edge of the well, for though he was acquainted with holes, having lived in one dug by his own paws, he had not yet found one so deep that he could not climb out of it. This well offered him an aroma as heady as that of any wine, and for all he knew it was an entrance to another creature's den, or a whole network of dens. He gazed into it for some time, trying to understand this strange thing. Now the moon was high above, and Reynard soon caught its reflection rippling slowly over the water; he concluded with wonder that the depths might shine with a light more constant than that of day. As the fox leaned over to see better, his silhouette moved across the moon, showing him what he thought to be a clever explorer of the fundament. He yipped a greeting, which echoed right back; and Reynard decided then to abandon the famine of the surface for the unknown inhabitants of its base. He jumped into the well.

Now it did not take very long for Reynard to explore the place he had found; it was about ten feet around, with walls of tough dirt, and water deep enough to drown him. But Reynard was a clever creature; he lived by his wits, and had talked his way out of tougher situations. If anyone could turn the narrow walls of this excavation to his advantage, it was Reynard. So he climbed into the bucket that sat at the bottom of the well, and shivered, hoping that he was not the only one who would be interested in these obscure depths.

It happened at that very instant, at the same hour of the same night, that Ysengrin the wolf was also roaming in search of prey, being hard pressed by the famine. He too came across the monastery, though he remembered that the monks had long been the enemies of every wolf. But a starving creature will dare any territory in search of food, and the smell of fat capons had already reached Ysengrin. The wolf entered through the wicker gate, and had soon further diminished the farmstead's poultry. At this time he, too, became thirsty, and following his nose he too found the well, but could reach no water as he leaned in. So he howled as loud as he could in his frustration, and called to the depths: "Where are you, you cool, cruel water? A creature is here who must slake his thirst, and he is willing to go anywhere to keep his stomach filled and his mouth wet!"

As soon as the redhead heard the wolf howling, and saw the snout of Ysengrin leaning over the edge of the well, he shouted out, "Oh God, who is this calling to me? In here is where I have my home."

"Tell me, who are you?" said Ysengrin.

"It's me, your good neighbour who used to be your patron, when you loved me more than your brother. I was known as the master hunter Reynard, though now you will find none to call me that."

Said Ysengrin: "That's a relief! There will be more prey for me. How long has it been since you stopped hunting?"

Replied Reynard: "You are mistaken, my dear nephew. I would never stop hunting; rather, I have found that the pickings are much better here, in the foundations of the earth."

"What, you mean to say that in that dank hole you've found enough to keep you alive?"

"More than enough. On the surface you are the greatest hunter, better even than me; but you are bad at choosing where to roam, and you did not know that the smartest beasts of prey go deeper."

"What?" replied Ysengrin. "You speak nonsense. The foundations of this world contain no prey that could fill my stomach."

"That is where you are mistaken," continued Reynard. "The fundament supports all that goes on above; how could the rabbits and sheep of the surface exist if they were not supported by the forms of life far below them? Do not be deceived by the appearance of the ground. Below it is where the true abundance of life is to be found. And water is always fresh at hand!"

"I do not believe you. The ground is where I bury the bones of those creatures that have felt my teeth: it is nothing more."

"But did you think those bones remained inert?" mocked Reynard. "No, they move and become live again in a process you cannot begin to understand. All the sheep, all the rabbits, all the deer you have ever killed wander again down here; if you were willing to spend enough time you could find any one of your old conquests and eat it again. Only the hunter who starts from the deepest foundations has the full choice of prey."

"I still do not trust you, but if a wily creature such as yourself is willing to go so deep to assuage his hunger, there must be something to it. I will come down."

"You can't just jump down," Reynard warned quickly. "Do you see this chain? Though it is thin, it links the fundament to all that is supported by it. If you stand in that bucket it will bear you down safely."

Ysengrin heard him, then tried hard to bring the bucket to the edge. In he jumped, paws together. Being the heavier of the two, Ysengrin dropped down. When the wolf saw the fox rising in the other bucket, he called out, "Why are you leaving the fundament? What of its abundance of prey?"

Reynard said: "I tried, but I am not a good enough hunter to roam the deep. The prey is so much easier to catch on the surface, where I can see and hear what I seek. I did not lie when I told you that the depths could take you to whatever prey you desire; but I did forget to tell you that you might have to dig."

When he reached the top, Reynard the fox lapped up the sweet, cool water that was in his bucket, and was on his way, leaving Ysengrin the wolf in the well.