Customer Reviews

Reynard the Fox

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Children may not know it, but like Animal Farm, the book was written as a political statement. Each animal is representative of a special interest, like the Church or the nobility. Reynard the Fox manages to make enemies of all of his fellow forest creatures. Yet, when confronted with an antagonist, he is so slick and clever, that he gets out of every jam. He outwits them. I believe, that the Warner Bros. cartoon character, Bugs Bunny, is based on Reynard the Fox.

Reynard will say, yes you have seen me kill the chickens, but at a distance, the wolf looks like the fox. The wolf, certainly does not appreciate the accusation, but has no defense. After all, when is the last time, that you have seen a wolf eat a carrot or a can of spinach?

In another situation, the farmer's little boy sets a trap for the fox and he is going to beat the living daylights out of the fox, once he catches him. The fox lets the cat know, where there is plenty of food, that will last him a lifetime, only if the cat will give up his dinner to the fox. The cat agrees and the fox gets a free meal. What happens to the cat? Well, you have to buy the book and find out.

This is a very well done Trickster story, from medieval times I guess. It may be a metaphor for groups in society, that kind of imagery is common enough, but at the same time it shows something of more traditional culture.