Jack the fox was trotting through the forest one day, when suddenly he saw the most beautiful vixen he had ever seen. She had shiny auburn fur and a snow-white tipped tail. Her eyes were big and black as the night sky. This vixen�s name was Alana.

The next day, Jack picked a daisy and brought it to Alana.

�Oh, it�s beautiful,� she said. �I love daisies. Thank you.� And she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Later that day, Alana was showing her daisy to her friend Suzy, and a very handsome fox named Paris walked by. �That Alana sure is something,� he thought to himself. �I�ll get her some roses. Then she�ll like me best.�

The next day, Jack saw Alana showing off a bouquet of a dozen red roses to Suzy. �Wow,� Suzy said. �That Paris sure must like you. He went through all that trouble of getting a dozen roses�thorns and all. I�d say that�s a lot harder than a silly little daisy.�

�Yeah,� Alana sighed. �I guess it is, isn�t it?�

Jack hung his head and kept walking, paying careful attention to go unnoticed.

�Now what am I going to do?� Jack thought. �Hmm�oh, I know! I�ll get her a rabbit! Then she�ll be sure to like me best.�

The next day, Jack brought Alana a plump rabbit. �Oh, thank you!� she said. �That is so kind, and it is so plump.�

Paris, who happened to be walking by that very moment, saw this. �Ha!� he muttered to himself. �I�ll show him. I�ll get her a big, juicy salmon. Then she�ll like me best.�

The next day, Jack overheard Baxter the owl and Sparky the raccoon talking. �You see that salmon Paris had in his mouth? That was quite a fish,� said Baxter.

�Yeah, I don�t even know if I could catch one that big. I�ve only ever seen Rusty the bear get ones that size. Alana is sure to like him best now,� replied Sparky.

�Hey there, Jack,� Baxter said when he saw the fox.

Jack sighed. �Hi, Baxter. Hi, Sparky,� he eked out.

�Say, you guys haven�t seen my honey anywhere, have you?� Sparky asked. �I can�t seem to find it in my trash stash anywhere!�

�No, can�t say I have,� Jack said.

�Was it in a jar?� asked Baxter.

�Yeah, a glass one with a lid. Why, did you see it somewhere?� asked Sparky.

�I saw Paris trotting by yesterday with a jar of honey, and then I saw Rusty eating out of the same jar a little later,� said Baxter.

�Hmm�I think I�ll pay a visit to good ol� Rusty. Been meaning to catch up with him for a while anyway. Thanks, Baxter. See you later, Jack.� And with that, Sparky left.

�I�m going to lay down by the lake, Baxter. I�ll see you later,� Jack said.

�Goodbye,� said Baxter, and Jack trotted off toward the lake.

Meanwhile, Sparky the raccoon was chatting with Rusty the bear by the river.

�Say, Rusty, ol� pal�where did you get that jar of honey?� Sparky asked.

�Oh, this fine specimen?� Rusty asked. �Paris the fox gave me this here jar. Said he wanted a couple of salmon and knew where he could get me some honey. I figured it was a good deal.�

�That little sneak. He snatched it from my trash stash!� Sparky said.

�Oh, this was yours? I�m sorry, Sparky. If I had known he stole it from you, I would have never caught those salmon for him,� said Rusty.

�That�s okay, Rusty. But thank you. I have to go; I have someone to find,� replied Sparky. And with that, he was off.

�Do I have some interesting news for you,� Jack heard from behind him. It was Sparky the raccoon.

�What�s that?� Jack asked, turning around.

�It turns out that little sneak, Paris, stole my honey and gave it to Rusty in return for two salmon. I guess that�s where he got that one he gave to Alana. I knew he couldn�t have caught one that big on his own,� said Sparky.

�That Paris sure is something to try and show me up like that,� said Jack. �Thanks, Sparky. I have to go do something.� And with that, Jack trotted off.

As he made his way through the forest, Jack saw Sarina the hawk up in her nest with her chicks.

�Hello, there, Jack,� she chirped.

�Oh, hello,� Jack said. �You sure seem chipper today.�

�Oh, yes. It�s such a relief not to have to catch dinner tonight. Paris the fox brought me this salmon in exchange for picking him some roses yesterday. I figured it was a good deal,� said Sarina.

�Roses, eh? A salmon? Hmm�� Jack said. �Well, enjoy your meal, Sarina. I have to find someone. And thanks.� With that, Jack went on his way.

Soon Jack found himself at Alana�s hole. �Alana? Are you there? It�s me, Jack. I have something to tell you.�

Alana emerged. �What is it, Jack?� she asked.

�You know that salmon Paris got for you? Well, he didn�t get it on his own. He bribed Rusty the bear to catch two fish for him with some honey he stole from Sparky the raccoon�s trash stash. And those roses Paris gave you? Sarina the hawk really picked those, in exchange for one of the salmon that Rusty caught,� Jack spilled.

�Oh! How could you say such things? You are nothing but a jealous coward, coming up with rumors like that,� Alana said, and ran back inside her hole.

Jack hung his head and slowly walked away.

The next day, Alana was just telling her friend Suzy the part Jack said about Paris stealing honey, when Sparky the raccoon overheard her.

�No, no!� he interrupted. �Paris really did steal my honey. Rusty the bear told me that Paris gave him the honey in exchange for catching two salmon. I�m not sure why he wanted two, though��

�Oh, no! I�ve made a huge mistake!� Alana cried. �I must go.� And before Sparky or Suzy could say anything, she bolted off.

�Jack? Jack? Jack, where are you?� Alana called when she got to his hole.

�I think I saw him down at the lake,� she heard from above. It was Baxter the owl.

�Thank you,� she said, running off again.

Eyes half closed, Jack stared off over the expanse of the lake, chin resting on his paws. Suddenly the panicked sound of his own name being called snapped him out of his trance. He looked back to see Alana running toward him.

�What is it?� he asked.

�Jack, I am so sorry for what I said last night. I made a huge mistake. Sparky the raccoon told me how Paris stole his honey, and I just feel awful I ever doubted you,� Alana breathed out. �Besides�I like daisies better. They don�t have thorns. And I�ve never much liked the taste of salmon anyway,� she continued. �Will you forgive me? I want to be with you.�

�Of course,� Jack said. �I could never let you get away.� And with that, they kissed under the moonlight.

The two foxes married on a beautiful spring day, with blossoms all around them and a rainbow arced over the lake, because everyone knows that when the sun is shining and it�s raining out, that�s when foxes have their weddings.

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