Rusty and the Mirror Pond

Deep in the Whispering Woods, where the trees swayed and the wind whistled soft melodies, Rusty the fox was growing up. His once tiny paws had become stronger, his amber eyes sharper, and his red fur glossier with each passing season.

One fresh spring morning, Mrs. Olly the owl gathered all the woodland creatures at the Great Oak Tree School for a special announcement.

“Today,” hooted Mrs. Olly, “we will have our first Woodland Skills Festival! Each of you will demonstrate what you’ve learned this year.”

Excited whispers rustled through the classroom. Little hedgehogs chattered about their rolling techniques, squirrels practiced their nut-gathering speeds, and rabbits compared their hopping distances.

Rusty’s ears perked up with interest, but then he noticed his friend Snowy looking uncomfortable. Since becoming friends, Snowy had become much happier, but he still had moments when his confidence wavered.

“What’s wrong?” asked Rusty, sitting beside Snowy on their mushroom stool.

“My digging isn’t as fast as used to,” Snowy mumbled, glancing at a tiger across the room who was confidently showing off his claws. “And I used to be much better at digging before we moved to these woods. The soil is different here.”

Rusty was about to reassure his friend when Mrs. Olly continued, “The festival will end with prizes for the Most Improved, the Most Skilled, and the Most Helpful woodland creature!”

Later that day, as Rusty practiced his pouncing technique by the stream, he found himself thinking about the competition. “I’m definitely better at pouncing than Oliver Otter,” he thought proudly. “And I’m much better than I was last autumn. I might win both the Most Skilled and Most Improved prizes!”

As these thoughts tumbled through his mind, Rusty didn’t notice he was approaching a special part of the stream – the Mirror Pond. This small, perfectly still pool reflected everything with crystal clarity. It was said that the Mirror Pond showed more than just appearances; it somehow reflected what was happening inside a creature’s heart.

When Rusty caught sight of his reflection, he was startled. Instead of seeing his usual self, his reflection showed a fox with a puffed-up chest and a nose pointing so high in the air that he couldn’t see where he was going. In the reflection, the puffed-up Rusty kept tripping over roots and bumping into trees.

“What’s happening?” Rusty gasped, touching his own chest to make sure it wasn’t really puffed up.

“You’ve found the Mirror Pond, I see,” came a gentle voice. Grandfather Fox emerged from between the ferns, his silver-tipped tail swishing gently.

“Why do I look so strange?” asked Rusty.

Grandfather Fox sat beside Rusty, both of their reflections shimmering in the water. “The Mirror Pond shows us what happens when we compare ourselves too much to others or even to our past selves.”

“But isn’t it good to be better than others? Or better than I used to be?” Rusty asked, confused.

“There’s a difference between growing and comparing,” Grandfather Fox explained. “When you focus on being ‘better than’ or ‘worse than’ others, you stop seeing clearly – just like your reflection that couldn’t see the path ahead.”

Rusty looked back at the water. His reflection had changed slightly. Now he looked deflated and dragging his tail, eyes fixed on the ground.

“And that,” continued Grandfather, “is what happens when you decide you’re ‘worse than’ others or your past self. You miss all the beautiful things around you.”

Rusty thought about Snowy, who was so worried about not being the best digger or as good as he used to be.

“But how can we get better without comparing?” Rusty asked.

“By simply noticing,” said Grandfather Fox. “Notice your pouncing without judging it. Practice because it brings you joy, not to be better than someone else. When you free yourself from constant comparison, you can truly see.“

As Grandfather spoke these words, Rusty looked at his reflection once more. Now he saw himself as he truly was – a young fox with bright eyes, neither puffed up nor deflated, simply present and aware.

The next day at the Woodland Skills Festival, Rusty found Snowy still looking worried.

“Snowy,” said Rusty, “I learned something important yesterday. Watch.”

Rusty led his friend to a quiet corner where they could see the other animals practicing. “See how everyone is either boasting about being better or worrying about being worse?”

Snowy nodded, noticing how some creatures strutted proudly while others hunched with worry.

“My grandfather showed me that when we compare like that, we miss what’s really important,” Rusty explained.

“Let’s just enjoy showing what we can do, without worrying about who’s better or worse.”

Snowy seemed skeptical but agreed to try.

When it was Snowy’s turn to demonstrate digging, he stopped looking at Swift or thinking about how he used to dig. Instead, he simply focused on the earth beneath his paws, the rhythm of his movements, and the joy of creating a perfectly shaped burrow.

To everyone’s surprise, Snowy’s burrow was unique – not the fastest-dug or the deepest, but perfectly designed with multiple chambers and even a small ventilation hole.

“I’ve never seen such a thoughtful design!” exclaimed Mrs. Olly.

When Rusty’s turn came to demonstrate pouncing, he too forgot about being better or worse than anyone. He simply pounced with all his attention on the present moment.

At the end of the festival, Mrs. Olly gathered everyone around. “I’ve been watching not just your skills, but how you approached them,” she said wisely. “And I’ve decided to add a new award: The Most Present.”

She explained that being present meant doing something with full attention, without being distracted by comparisons.

“This award goes to both Rusty and Snowy, who showed us that when we stop comparing ourselves to others or our past selves, we discover our true gifts.“

That evening, as the woodland creatures celebrated with a feast of berries and nuts, Grandfather Fox found Rusty and Snowy sharing their prize – a beautiful acorn medallion split in two, so each could have half.

“You’ve learned one of life’s most important lessons,” Grandfather Fox said proudly. “When questioned about your abilities, instead of feeling superior or inferior, simply answer with what is true in the moment.“

“And what is true,” said Rusty thoughtfully, “is that we’re all exactly who we’re meant to be right now.”

“Not better,” added Snowy.

“Not worse,” nodded Rusty.

“Just perfectly ourselves,” they finished together, as the stars began to twinkle in the evening sky above the Whispering Woods.