Caution Hits Before The Wind

Many of us as individuals go throughout life without a care in the world and just let things be as they are. However, this mindset is a dangerous one as it can just as well lead to a good outcome as well as a bad one. This is a story about a young fox named Amber, who's cautious nature became the one thing that saved her when she was besieged by a beast she had no hope of defeating.

It was a quiet morning in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the middle of summer. In the bottom of a remote river valley where many tall trees and shrubs grew and the salmon were just beginning to run up their migratory rivers, a young fox who goes by the name of Amber was just waking up to begin her day. Curled up in her little den, the first light of day was a bit of an annoying wake up call after a long restless night. All night long, the bears hungry for salmon had been contesting with one another for the best spots to fish just outside her den and this led to Amber getting very little sleep. Nonetheless it was time to get up and with a quick flick of her feet and a long stretch to reset her bodies limber athleticism, Amber started to prepare for the day. Poking her head out of her burrow, she could see a few hungry bears patiently waiting in the streams current head of her. Knowing that contesting for bears who have already claimed an ideal spot to fish is a fools errand, she decides to make a bolt up the riverbanks above where the current crowd of bears were to have a better chance at scoring some breakfast.

In her youth, her mother always taught Amber and her siblings that caution and craftiness can mean the difference between life or death in the perilous mountains they called home. This truth can be understood by any creature trying to make a living, whether it be the tiniest mouse looking for a few seeds for her family or the towering solitary moose trying to get just get by without having something nipping at its tender behind. Now on this day, Amber would soon come to appreciate those soulful lessons her mother had taught her, for an unknown danger would soon be in her midst and only by relying on caution and her crafty nature would she have a chance of getting back home.

On the way up the river, Amber was sure to keep herself well hidden within the few shrubs and willows that lined the banks of the river. Staying out of sight meant she wouldn't become the target of a territorial bear that might see her as a threat that could either steal their meal or let a meal slip away. After cautiously scurrying along the banks of the river and repeatedly making sure that the wind was in her favor using her keen sense of smell, Amber soon came to a stretch of river where no bears could be seen or smelled. Walking in a strategic manner, Amber slowly crept down to the rivers edge and began looking for a place to catch some salmon.

The salmon run had just started and there were only a couple of salmon within the river itself, but Amber knew that her meal would soon come to her if she waited in a spot where the water wouldn't tire the fish out as quickly. After scanning the rivers edge for a few minutes, Amber soon spotted a piece of an old tree stretching out over and into the river where the water was just about to roll over the top of the tree. Slowly Amber began to walk across the top of the partially submerged tree until she came to just the right spot where the water was clear and she could see down to the rivers bottom. Gripping the log tightly, Amber crouch down and leaned a little forward in order to be ready to strike at the moment a plump, juicy salmon came within striking distance. It didn't take long for a salmon to makes its way up to where Amber was waiting, and with a quick plunge and a snap of her sharp canine filled jaws, she came back out of the river with a hefty prize.

Carefully Amber begins to make her way back to the bank across the tree she just traversed, all the while trying to keep her balance with a flopping fish in her mouth. Upon hitting the riverbank, Amber soon begins to feel a bit uneasy. Soon she realizes that the wind she was relying upon had changed its course and was now blowing in the opposite direction. Quickly she begins to swivel her head around in order to scan her surroundings for danger, and boy was she forever glad she did. Roughly fifty yards behind where the wind was once blowing from down the valley corridor, was a large male brown bear with a slightly deformed front left paw, probably brought upon by fighting other bears. As soon as the bears eyes caught sight of Amber and the fish she had just caught, he roared a thunderous warning and began to charge right for Amber.

Luckily for Amber, she had seen the bear just a split second before he saw her and she quickly began to race back to her den. Now foxes are generally faster than bears, as foxes can run upwards of forty five miles an hour while bears typically can only run about thirty miles per hour. However, Amber's prize was weighing her down and making her escape attempt a little more challenging. With the bear right on her heels, Amber soon decides to make a crafty maneuver. Getting close to the riverbank, Amber soon arrives near a small willow tree covered sandbar in the middle of the river she had passed previously and decides to leap over to it. She barely makes it across and quickly runs to the middle of the sandbar and drops her catch in a small pool of water hidden from view. Then just as quickly Amber runs to the opposite side of the sandbar just out of sight of her pursuer and drops down into the water behind a partially washed up log.

The bear soon reaches the riverbank where Amber hopped across and begins to scan his surroundings for his would be dinner. Not seeing who he was pursuing, he soon begins to sniff the air in hopes that he can pick up Amber's trail again. Not smelling his prey in the air, the bear quickly gives up and begins headings back up to where he first saw Amber in hopes that more fish are still waiting in that fishing hole. After waiting a few minutes, Amber soon reclaims her prize from the sandbar pool, hops back over to the riverbank and renews her cautious journey home. Upon reaching her little abode, she quickly delves inside with her prize and begins to devour her succulent reward. Caution saved Amber this day and will do so in the future if she forever remembers those lessons her mother once taught her.

We all can learn from this kind of experience as many of us like to fish too and more often than not, we come across a hungry fellow who wants the spoils we acquire. Just remember, caution will often hit you faster than wind ever will because winds can often change in a heartbeat and lead to dangers unknown.