Dheera's Workshop of Whimsy

With rivers full of healthy rudd,

There was a fox-hole under the root,

Of a verdant healthy bamboo-shoot.

Fakir was a handsome, somber fox,

Who roamed at night amongst the rocks,

He spoke to no one, so nobody dared,

To befriend him, they just silently stared.

The only animal that Fakir fox liked,

Was small and bony with little wings spiked.

Fifi flying fox, soft and meek,

Had a most peculiar streak,

She lived beside a bumble bee,

And was as restless, as a wave at sea.

On full moon nights, on an inverted pail,

Fakir would sit and tell Fifi a tale,

 Fifi hung on his every word,

And really enjoyed all the stories she heard.

The animals unable to fathom this bond,

Gave up and went for a swim in the pond.

And then on a cloudy drizzly day,

Fakir got a foot-ball and asked Fifi to play.

Fifi was nervous, she slipped on the moss,

That made the fox most terribly cross.

He scolded, she jittered, until alas and alack

Fakir gave Fifi a resounding smack!

Shocked the animals conferred and then

Decided to banish the fox to his den.

It started to rain and the animals dispersed,

The thunder growled and dark clouds burst.

It rained for four days without interruption,

The river overflowed causing a disruption.

The river broke banks and oozed out mud,

Fifi lost her claw-hold and fell into the flood.

The animals panicked, they watched looking grim,

For they all knew that the flying fox couldn’t swim.

Fakir was busy clearing his den,

Trying to save, his floating tin men,

He heard Fifi’s cry as he retrieved a paint box,

Help! Help! she wailed, Save me Fakir fox!

The fox was a swimmer, good at life saving,

He dived into the water, setting the animals raving.

Fakir spied the foot-ball, floating in the flood,

It looked old and battered, covered in mud,

Fifi grab the foot-ball, shouted Fakir giving chase,

But Fifi was waterlogged, except for her face.

The fox pulled and fought, he swam with all his strength,

 Urged on by the animals, and then at length,

Fakir clamped his tail in Fifi’s little jaw,

Grabbing the ball he paddled with his free paw.

The crisis passed and Fakir fox was praised,

A party was held and a toast was raised,

And as a mark, of her deep affection,

Fifi presented Fakir, with her ribbon collection.

Fakir grinned then, for the very first time,

His vulpine features looked gentle and sublime

The animals danced, holding paws delighted

Around the silver pond, the moon-beams had lighted.