The Fox’s Star Quest
This little fox loved the lives of human children so much that she even gave herself a human name: “Li Zhili.”
One day, Li Zhili returned home, feeling downcast. Her once bright and large eyes had grown small and dull.
Her mother asked, “Li Zhili, did you go and spy on human children again? Didn’t I tell you that there’s a difference between ‘there’ and ‘here’? You shouldn’t only see their happiness.”
“Dear Mom, Li Zhili has a question here,” she said, pointing to her heart. “If you answer it correctly, she will be happy again.”
“Go ahead and ask,” her mother replied. “If I can’t answer, we can go ask Dr. Fox.”
“Mom, I know you love me very, very much,” Li Zhili’s heart was already feeling lighter. “But I expect so, so much from love—so much that… Well, I did spy on human children just now, and I heard a father say to his daughter, ‘If you want the stars in the sky, I will get them for you.’ Oh, loving Mom, why have I never heard you say something like that? Picking stars from the sky, that’s the greatest love a parent can give, right? Mom, I already have a lot of love, but I want the greatest love.”
“Well, well…”
Of course, Fox Mom had heard such things before, but she had never said them to her child. She wasn’t used to making promises with words.
Seeing her mother stammering, little Li Zhili burst into tears and started running while crying.
Her mother didn’t chase after her but sighed and said, “Child, I don’t believe that a father who struggles to even climb trees can pick stars for his daughter. If he could pick stars, then I could pick the moon and the sun.”
A few days later, her mother thought Li Zhili had forgotten about wanting the stars, but she remembered more deeply than the ocean.
Li Zhili, smiling brightly, took her mother’s hand and said mysteriously, “Dear Mom, today I want you to come with me to spy on the human children. Will you?”
After thinking for a moment, her mother replied, “I will, but I’m just going to quietly observe.”
Li Zhili and her mother hid in the bushes. She pointed to the roof of a house and said, “Mom, look, there’s a star up there, shining even in the daytime.”
Her mother looked, and sure enough, there was a star, bigger than the ones in the sky, shining brightly in the sunlight. She couldn’t imagine how the father from “there” had managed to pick it.
“Mom, look again, there are stars in that little girl’s room too! They’re sitting on the walls, not moving, blinking straight at us. How cute!”
“Mom, look again, there are stars on that little girl’s dress too. She looks just like a princess, so adorable! Her dad gave her the greatest love, didn’t I tell you the truth?”
Fox Mom blushed and said nothing, just asking herself, “How did they do this?”
Back home, her mother also became depressed and went to ask Dr. Fox: “Has the sky been missing any stars lately?” Dr. Fox answered firmly, “Not a single one is missing!” She asked again, “Then, has there been a meteor shower recently?” Dr. Fox replied, “Even insomniacs haven’t seen a meteor shower. Do you think there has been one?”
Now, Fox Mom felt relieved and continued to ask, “Dear Doctor, but I saw stars with human children recently. Did their father pick them from the sky?”
Dr. Fox laughed heartily and said, “Many fox parents have asked me this question. I’m happy to answer you again—this is impossible! If every parent went to pick stars from the sky, wouldn’t our starry sky become an ugly ink pool? Let me tell you, those stars are made to look like the ones in the sky!”
Fox Mom was very happy but quickly grew sad again, saying, “But Doctor, look at my hand. That star-picking father shot off my fingers with his gun. How can I make stars that are both exquisite and beautiful?”
Dr. Fox thought of a solution, and Fox Mom’s sadness turned to joy.
A month later, Fox Mom fell ill and lay on her bed, saying to Li Zhili, “Li Zhili, Mom feels a bit cold. Could you draw a sun for me? If your teacher hasn’t taught you yet, you can draw it after you learn tomorrow.”
Li Zhili was not one to be discouraged, so she quickly drew a big, warm sun for her mother.
“Oh my, the sun Li Zhili drew is even warmer than the real one!” But then her mother groaned again, “But now I’m too hot. Could you draw a moon for me? If your teacher hasn’t taught you yet, you can draw it after you learn tomorrow.”
Li Zhili, still undeterred, immediately drew a clear and bright full moon for her mother.
“Thank you, Li Zhili!” her mother said, feeling the medicine starting to work, her illness improving. Happily, she added, “Dear Li Zhili, Mom wants to sleep now and have a good dream. Could you help me by drawing some beautiful and peaceful stars? In the past, stars cured my insomnia, and now, Mom believes in you even more. You will draw the most beautiful and peaceful stars in the world!”
Hearing this, Li Zhili finally understood why her mother insisted she learn to draw a month ago. She once reached out to her mother for stars, and today she could finally create stars that truly belonged to them. She and her mother both had the greatest love.
The little fox couldn’t hold back her tears, but this didn’t stop her from drawing “the most beautiful and peaceful stars in the world” for her mother.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
