This page features a collection of stories centered on nocturnal animals, exploring various themes of adventure, fear, and mystery. The tales feature a range of animals including foxes, owls, bats, and other creatures, set against night-time backdrops.
Stories Featuring Foxes
A number of stories highlight the cunning and cleverness of foxes. In The Fox and the Grapes, Freddy the fox fails to reach a bunch of grapes and convinces himself that he didn’t want them after all. In The Fox and the Stork, a fox tricks a stork by serving soup in a shallow dish, but the stork gets revenge by serving fish in a tall jar. The Fox and the Lion portrays a young fox’s evolving relationship with a lion, from initial fear to casual interaction. In Mr. Fox’s House Party, Mr. Fox invites his friends to a party, only for Mr. Dog to crash it, leading to chaos. The Wild Boar and the Fox explores how a fox mocks a boar for preparing for danger, only for the boar to explain the importance of being ready.
Stories About Bats and Owls
Bats and owls also feature prominently in the collection. Uncle Wiggily and the Bat follows Uncle Wiggily as he helps a frightened Susie Littletail when a bat flies by. The Dark Isn’t Scary tells the story of a boy named Anand and an owl, Whoot, who exchange eyes to experience each other’s perspective of night and day. In Mr. Owl and His Caller, Mr. Owl is disturbed by tapping sounds only to find that Mr. Woodpecker is looking for insects in the tree. The owl later relocates to a barn, where he starts the Barn Owl family.
Stories About Fear and Overcoming It
Several stories focus on characters overcoming their fears of the dark or unknown. Benny the Scared Bat tells the tale of a bat who fears flying out at night, only to eventually gain confidence and appreciate the beauty of the night forest. Lucas and the Dark Forest follows a boy who, after initially fearing the dark, learns to appreciate it during a nighttime walk home. How Night Came explores a mythical story of how night was introduced into the world after the daughter of the Great Sea Serpent longed for it.
Tales of Mischief and Mystery
Some stories in the collection feature mischievous and mysterious happenings. In The Halloween Mystery of the Vanished Boy, a boy disappears on Halloween, with a witch, a ghost, and other figures hinting at his connection to the night’s enchantment. The Enchanted Wood portrays the celebration of Hallowe’en by bats, goblins, and elves, where the elves eventually drive away the other creatures with their music.
These stories offer a variety of themes, from bravery to mischief, all linked by the presence of nocturnal animals.
Imagination over knowledge
