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  Socks Without Matches

  A Fox Named Sly

  Autumn had finally come to Miller’s Forest; the brisk October winds ripped through the falling leaves. Everyone was excited as they prepared for winter. The forest was thick with giant timbers that reached into the sky. In the middle of the forest was a beautiful golden meadow surrounded by a flowing stream. Its rolling hills and valleys were homes to all the animals. The Millers used to live in Miller’s Forest a long time ago. Their house is now gone and all that remains is the family graveyard.

  Sly, the fox, lived across the meadow on the north side with his friend and neighbor, Slick, the porcupine. Sly and Slick loved a good mystery. Their dreams were to one day be detectives and solve cases.

  Early one morning Sly heard an awful Oooooo sound. He hurried to the door to see what it was, but he didn’t see anything. He looked to his left and then to his right. But, he still didn’t see anything. Then he heard someone yelling his name.

  “Sly! Sly!” they shouted.

  He looked down the path and saw Slick running toward him.

  “Sly! Sly!” yelled Slick. “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes, I did,” answered Sly as he looked around.

  What was it? Sly wondered to himself. Sly looked everywhere for tracks, but found none. Strange, he thought. There are no tracks anywhere in sight or a sign of anything. Sly paced back and forth with a puzzled look on his face.

  “What could it be?” questioned a nervous Slick.

  Without warning, just beyond the trees, they heard it again. Oooooo it sounded loudly. Sly turned quickly to see what it was. Slick rolled up like in a ball and shook all over; he was scared to death.

  “I believe it’s coming from the meadow,” cried Sly as a trembling Slick unrolled himself.

  Hurriedly, they took off down the path as fast as they could go. On their way through the meadow, they ran into Squeaky, the field mouse.

  “Hi, Sly! Hi, Slick!” yelled a squeaky tender voice from a nearby log.

  “Squeaky, did you hear any strange noises coming from the edge of the meadow?” asked Sly.

  “I sure did!” replied Squeaky with a trembling voice. “Not only did I hear it, I felt it to! It hit hard and cold, sending chills down my spine and tail. What was it, Sly? Who was it?” questioned Squeaky.

  “We haven’t figured it out yet,” replied Sly. “However, we are going to do our best to find out.”

  Unexpectedly, they heard it again. Oooooo it sounded!

  About that time, Harry, the rabbit, hopped up. He was so scared his hair was standing on ends. Sly looked around when he thought he heard something in the bushes. Oooooo it went again! Sly ran toward the bushes but by the time he got there it was gone. When Sly returned to his friends, Harry’s hair was still standing on ends; Squeaky was trembling; and Slick was rolled up in a ball.

  “I believe it’s coming from the graveyard,” cried Sly.

  “The graveyard!” hollered Slick. “Are you sure?”

  “Do you think it’s a ghost?” asked Squeaky.

  “A ghost!” screamed Harry as he quickly turned and hopped down the path like a scared rabbit. “A ghost, a ghost!” he shouted when he looked back over his shoulder at Sly and Slick.

  Sly rubbed his chin and let out a long sigh.

  “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “There is definitely something strange going on.”

  Sly and Slick took off running toward the graveyard. Now Sly was slick and Slick was sly. If there were any two in the forest who could get to the bottom of it, they could. As they approached the graveyard, they heard a strange rustling sound in the trees. Sly turned quickly and looked up to see what it was. It was Whooo, the owl.

  “Whooo, have you heard or seen anything out of the ordinary?” questioned Sly.

  Whooo thought a minute, flapped his wings and blinked his eyes.

  “Why yes, yes I have. It was awful!” he stated. “It tried to knock me out of the tree and I had to fight to get away. I lost a few feathers, but I was able to get away,” he screeched. “Thank goodness it didn’t get me.”

  Oooooo it went again. Before Sly could look around, Whooo had flown off and Slick was right next to him.

  “Ouch!” yelled Sly when he bumped in to Slick. “Slick, be careful with those needles of yours. You stuck me in my side.”

  Sly and Slick continued on and slowly crept up to the graveyard.

  “Do you really think it’s a ghost?” Slick whispered.

  “Shhh,” hushed Sly, “listen.”

  All was silent except for the chirping of a few sparrows sitting atop the trees. Sly and Slick searched and searched the graveyard. But, they found nothing.

  “Look!” screamed Slick, startling Sly.

  Sly turned around and saw a tombstone knocked down and a sunken grave. Sly got a little closer to investigate. He rubbed his chin and scratched his head as he looked the situation over.

  “Do you think it’s a ghost?” cried Slick.

  “I don’t know,” replied Sly. “I just don’t know. I can’t figure it out.”

  Again it happened; but this time louder than before…Oooooo!

  Slick screamed out, “Look, Sly, there it is! It went into the bushes!”

  By the time Sly turned around, all he could see was something running through the bushes by the creek.

  “Come on!” yelled Sly. “I believe we have it cornered this time.”

  Sly swiftly moved toward the creek with Slick right behind him.

  “Wait up!” yelled Slick. “Don’t leave me behind.”

  By the time Sly reached the bushes, it was gone.

  “Did you see it?” asked Slick. “What was it?”

  “I’m not sure,” replied Sly.

  Abruptly, there came another noise from the bushes.

  Sly yelled, “Get Ready, Slick!”

  “Did you hear what I heard?” asked Spooky the raccoon when he came out of the bushes.

  He startled them so bad they couldn’t move; they were frozen in their tracks.

  “Yes, we did,” Slick finally answered in relief.

  “I heard it and ran to hide in the bushes,” chattered Spooky. “Sly, do you have any idea what it could be?” he asked.

  Sly licked his paw and stuck it up in the air. Oooooo went the sound once again.

  “Just what I thought,” laughed Sly. The Oooooo is nothing but the wind. Slick started giggling. Then they all fell to the ground, rolling around laughing. Oooooo went the wind.

  “It’s just the wind!” they all yelled.

  They continued laughing as the howl of the wind moved down the creek and out of the forest.