In the quiet village of Willow Hollow, where fog kissed the treetops and time moved gently, there was a legend of a fox with a glowing lantern tail. The villagers spoke of it in whispers—how it appeared only on nights when the moon was hidden and the stars blinked uncertainly.
Ten-year-old Elsie had heard the stories from her grandmother a hundred times. But when her baby brother fell ill and the healer said only the Moonroot blossom could save him—a flower that only bloomed deep within the forest under starlight—Elsie knew she had to go alone.
She tiptoed out at dusk, the forest folding around her like a great sleeping giant. As fear pressed against her courage, a soft light appeared in the distance, bobbing gently. The Lantern Fox.
With its tail flickering like a candle in the dark, the fox led her silently through brambles and shadows. They reached a grove bathed in a pale silver glow. There, moonlight broke through the trees, and nestled among the moss, the Moonroot bloomed.
As Elsie reached for it, the fox’s lantern tail dimmed, then vanished completely. When she turned, it was gone—but she knew it had done its duty.
Her brother recovered, and from then on, whenever a villager got lost or needed help, a quiet flicker of light was seen weaving between the trees, guiding them home.
