Saffron Fox: Panchatantra Tale Retold

Once a clever fox went to town looking for some food. The dogs chased the fox and the fox fell into a tub full of saffron dye and got saffronized. The dogs saw the saffron fox and retreated as they knew full well the might of anything saffron in the town.

When the fox entered the forest, it found that all the animals like the town dogs retreated. It proclaimed itself as the king and announced there will be Ram Rajya henceforth and all the animals including the little mouse will get justice. There will not be any preferential treatment of animals based on the colors or size. Animals felt secure and happy under this Ram Rajya.

One day it saw its reflection and it got shocked. From that day it started sporting a mask and shades to hide its true identity even more.

Fox liked the newfound status and every month went for a dip. During the town visits, it enrolled in a Sanskrit class and learn the scriptures. It called for a meeting of animals monthly and gave them a heart to heart talk. It will quote from scriptures and tell the animals how to live peacefully and restore the glory of the forest. “We have to make it like Dandakaranya as told in Ramayana” it would say.

Then one day unexpectedly the mad bull from the town entered the forest and behaved like a bull in the china shop as the saying goes. Many small animals got trampled and died. All the animals looked up to the fox for a solution. The fox went for an inspection and told a cock and bull story. It said that the bull was mad and didn’t know it has entered our forest. Even if it had entered it has gone back, so it was ok. He called the dead animals ‘martyr’ and paid homage to them after giving them a decent burial. But the animals were not convinced and there were a lot of murmurs that were going on.

Luckily the monsoon came and the animals got busy with their livelihoods. The fox never ventured outside during the rains lest the dye gets washed away. It ordered delivery of foods from the animals following the Bakasura episode in the Maha Bharata that he had learned in one of the Sanskrit lessons.

But the mating season came and the fox could not resist nature’s urges. It soon found a timid vixen and took it to town and both took a dip. Then they mated and lived happily and when the babies were born the fox took them too for a dip.

Thus, the clever fox continued to rule the jungle as the animals were not able to see the true color of the fox. The fox told his mate “once a fool always a fool” and they danced together.