Once upon a time a proud and arrogant cat went hunting for her dinner. She had found herself a plump chicken and was just about to nab it for dinner when a raccoon jumped out and killed it first. She was surprised that she just sat and watched in amazement as he walked off with her dinner.
Several nights later, she was out hunting again. She discovered a flock of quail and using her great skill she patiently worked herself closer and closer so that she might catch one for her meal. But just when she was almost near enough, a group of raccoons came by, laughing and carrying on and the flock of quail burst into flight and flew away.
Angry now, she fluffed herself up and began berating the noisy raccoons for their interference, and calling them all sorts of unkind names. Feeling wronged, the raccoons began to tease her, taking turns distracting her whilst another of them snuck behind to pull her tail. Infuriated, she stalked away, leaving the raccoons laughing at her retreat.
Perhaps a week later, she was sunning herself by the stream and drowsing pleasantly. Her peaceful daydreams were rudely dashed by a sudden splash of water, sticking her fur together here and there in the most irritating fashion. She dashed to safety and turned, glaring, and wouldn't you know it - a raccoon stood on the bank, a wet fish flip flopping beneath his paws and sending water every which way. Remembering the trouble she had the last time, she stalked off in a huff, stopping repeatedly to attend to her fur.
Dreadfully tired of putting up with the constant irritations, she sought advice from a fox, knowing him to be a very intelligent creature. She told him of her woes, describing the various crimes of the raccoons, then asked him for some way to drive them away from her part of the woods.
But the fox merely twitched his long whiskers and smiled. "No need," he told her and rose to leave.
"But.. Why?" she asked, confused. "Oh! Will you drive them out for me?" she asked hopefully.
"No point," said the fox as he began walking away. "Even if the raccoons left, you would simply find someone else to blame your troubles on." And the fox left her standing there.
2002
--> Stories