Storyclover
Storyclover
At first light, the fox polished a small brass bell beside an old stone well. He lifted his chin and practiced his grandest boast: “I am the cleverest creature in the valley.” The well returned only a thin echo, as if his words had shrunk before reaching the sky.
The Well That Reflected Every Boast Back SmallerAnimals come to brag beside a deep well, but its quiet reflection helps each one see the difference between confidence and vanity.
1. At first light, the fox polished a small brass bell beside an old stone well. He lifted his chin and practiced his grandest boast: “I am the cleverest creature in the valley.” The well returned only a thin echo, as if his words had shrunk before reaching the sky.
2. A peacock arrived and opened his tail beside the stones. “No one here shines like I do,” he declared. The water below caught his bright shape and made it look small enough to fit inside an acorn cup.
3. A young hare tapped one foot. “I can cross the meadow before a shadow reaches the fence,” she said. She raced away and returned before the fox had rung his bell. The well answered with a tiny reflection, no larger than a pebble.
4. Last came an old badger, who settled his paws on the rim. “I have lived long enough to know every answer worth knowing,” he announced. The well sent back his voice in a small, hollow murmur.
5. The fox wanted the biggest boast of all. He held up his bell and said, “I can make every head in the valley turn toward me.” He rang it once. The note came back as a tiny tinkle, and the water held four small faces.
6. No one spoke. The fox lowered his bell and looked into the water. His face was small, clear, and exactly his own. He had been asking the well to make him large, but the well had shown him what was really there.
7. The fox looked at the little face in the water. “I can find the safest path through the brambles,” he said. The peacock said, “My feathers are bright, and I know when to fold them.” The hare said, “I am quick, and I notice what lies beneath my feet.” The badger said, “I am strong enough to dig, and patient enough to wait.” No one asked which gift was greatest.
8. On the path home, the fox chose the dry way, the hare noticed the soft ground, the badger cleared a fallen branch, and the peacock folded his tail so everyone could pass. No one called himself greatest. Each gift made room for the others.
9. The animals had come to brag beside a deep well, but its quiet reflection helped each one see the difference between confidence and vanity.
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