Fiction

Pass On By

by Megan Hughes
08/26/25
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Ari, the small lion, gazed up and saw Gamzo, the fox, looking at him with a mischievous grin on his face. The fox flung himself down on the ground, laughing hysterically. Ari stood and shook himself off while he stared at the fox, who had contained his laughter and was now only smirking.

Ari had trusted the fox to lead him to the pools where he would find his fill of fish. He was hungry after being without proper food for days on end. The clever fox led Ari into a trap when, as the small lion stepped upon some leaves, he fell, landing hard in the bottom of a pit.

Ari found himself in a most unpleasant situation. Gamzo had fooled and betrayed him. The fox made fun of him and laughed at him. Ari had put his trust in someone during a vulnerable moment when he needed help to continue his journey. Deceit dismantled the trust that he extended.

Ari opened his mouth, about to yell and scream at the pathetic fox for playing such a trick on him, but then he remembered, he who guards his mouth keeps himself out of trouble.

Ari felt the emotions of total frustration and anger welling up inside of him, but then he let it go. With a deep sigh, Ari took his eyes off the fox and began scouting around for a way to climb out of the pit. Ari jumped free from the confinement and he forced a small nod as he passed the fox on his way back down the path.

Our emotions carry a great deal of power to influence our decisions and the outcomes that occur. At these moments, we have the choice to keep a positive outlook and move on or succumb to the negative emotion by using harsh words or behavior that brings more strife into the situation.

Ari could take his eyes off the unpleasant incident by taking his eyes off the fox. He continued to live his life, moving forward in self-control and into a more positive outcome. He passed on by the fox and remained calm, not allowing any confrontation or harsh words to cause the situation to turn for the worse.

Remaining calm and using self-control, Ari could gather the wisdom he needed to break free from the confinement of the situation into a place of strength and power to continue his journey toward home.

 “He who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” ~ Proverbs 21:23

“If you conquer yourself, then you conquer the world.” ~ Paulo Coelho, Aleph