A Story of Revenge and Sorrow

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So we all know the Disney version [and while i personally don't find it sad, many who i have spoken with say it's depressing] There's a fox whose mother dies saving him from a hunter. The Fox is taken in by a widow and names him Tod. Meanwhile, the hunter buys a new dog named Copper. The two meet one day and become instant best friends. Unfortunately society forces them into their predestined rolls, so they cannot be friends. One night Chief [the other hunting dog] gets injured while hunting Tod and Copper swears revenge. this results in the widow Tweed dropping Tod off in the game preserve, and Amos Slade [the hunter] trying to catch him. This results in an epic battle with a bear, and Tod saving his childhood friend. In turn, Copper saves him from the hunter. They leave each other knowing they can never be friends anymore, but Tod loves Copper and Copper loves Tod, and that will never change. [Copper, you're my very best friend...]

A very nice story, with sweet songs and a good moral. Probably my favourite Disney movie, and one of my favourite movies ever... And it's nothing like the original Daniel P. Mannix book. It is said he was onset while they were rewriting his book, and he was fine with it. If this is true or not I'm not sure. [if the original makes you cry, i suggest getting a few tissues now]

The book starts with Copper, not a puppy, but an older dog [like at the end of the movie] Amos Slade has just bought a new hunting dog for his pack [he's got a pack in this version] named Chief. Chief begins to show up Copper which makes him jealous. One day they're out hunting a fox [Tod] by the train tracks [we all know this scene right?] Chief chases the fox across the tracks and winds up getting hit by the train. Unlike the Disney version though, he dies, which is the reason Amos hunts him. Copper is actually rather ok with this, since now he's top dog again. Some years pass and they hunt the fox, but are never able to catch him.

Over the years however the suburbs come in, tearing up much of the forest, and what remains is seen as a game preserve, no hunting aloud. So what's a poor, out of work hunter to do? Drink of course! Amos becomes an alcoholic,  and an outcast by society. As time goes by, he losses most of his dogs until only the faithful Copper is left by his side. One day, a little girl in the suburbs is playing in her yard when a rabies infected fox [not Tod] comes out of the woods and bites her. This causes the suburbanites to panic [as they always seem to do] and rush to Amos Slade for help getting rid of those evil disease ridden foxes.

With a purpose once more, Amos stops drinking and rises to the occasion, showing people how to hunt/trap foxes. All the men of the town join Amos and kill almost all the foxes. The hunter knows the fox that has given him so much grief some how eluded him once again. One day, while he's out tracking, he discovers Tod's den [with Vixie and the kids inside] so he desires to lay in wait, and set the den on fire. Tod escapes while his family burns alive. [sad enough yet? just warming up! {no pun intended}]

Amos tried again to cat Tod, laying traps everywhere, Tod sets them off, but is not captured. Fed up with this, he lies in wait, when Tod comes in sight, Copper springs into action chancing the fox as fast as he can. The two run for a LONG time, until Tod drops dead [heart explodes or something, he just ran to death] and Copper collapses on top of his prey exhausted. Amos Slade comes over, gets his dog, and takes him home, where he nurses Copper back to health. The town honours him as a hero for getting rid of those dangerous animals. The  fame and attention is a great thing while they last, but eventually people stop visiting him, and life goes back to normal. the towns people forget about him, and he turns to drinking again. At this point, Amos Slade is rather old, and times are changing, plus being an alcoholic he can't take care of himself, so his children step in. They decide to put him in a retirement home in the city where he'll be looked after. One problem though, no pets. A teary eyed Amos must get rid of his loyal dog, who stuck by him through everything, who caught the fox, who he nursed back to heal, who has been his only companion for many many years. with tears in his eyes, he takes his dog round the back, gun in hand. Copper see's his master's sad, so he licks his hand in a hopes to cheer him up, but doesn't. The story ends with Copper being shot and Amos being sent live out his days in a retirement home.

how's everyone doing? Good I hope, maybe a little shocked, but not scared for life. [please] Now, there was a lot of great artwork this month, unfortunately nothing by the book of the month, so, i'm going to leave out a suggestion box until April 10, comment bellow what book you wish to feature [can't be one that's already been discussed, and has to be a book in the gallery] and whichever gets the most votes wins. [if there's a tie, a coin shall be used]

Take care everyone.

p.s. Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.
~Alice in Wonderland [Lewis Carroll]
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ThunderBearStudios's avatar
bugger.. I'm still reading Shardik in the middle of making a cosplay for Anime North.. darn. Mind you though...It's a heck of s good book so far ^_^.