A dog with a missing eye takes a
bird to his cave to tend to her burnt wing. 
But Magpie whispers, “I will never again be able to fly.” She is filled with grief, but eventually Dog
convinces her to climb on his back. He
runs through the scrub, and she loves the feeling of the wind streaming through
her feathers. They run every day,
through Summer and Winter. She says, I
am his missing eye and his is my wings.” 
Then Fox sees them. Dog welcomes
him into their cave, but Magpie is suspicious. 
While Dog is asleep, Fox tempts Magpie into getting on his back and
running with him. He runs faster than
Dog, and it feels wonderful to Magpie. 
Then he leaves her alone under the scorching sun, far away from
Dog. She is suddenly filled with
despair and is ready to die. But then
she thinks of Dog, and she begins the long journey home.

Ron Brooks’ powerful pictures
starkly illustrate this Australian story. 
It has the feel of an ancient myth, and it deals in universal themes of
friendship, temptation, loss, betrayal, and love. Children may find the story uncomfortably adult and harsh, yet it
might speak directly to their own experience. 
Fox is a surprisingly powerful and somewhat disturbing picture
book; parents should certainly read it first before deciding to give it to
their children.

© 2002 Christian Perring. All rights reserved.

Christian Perring,
Ph.D., is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island.
He is editor of Metapsychology Online Review. His main research is on
philosophical issues in psychiatry. He is especially interested in exploring
how philosophers can play a greater role in public life, and he is keen to help
foster communication between philosophers, mental health professionals, and the
general public.

Categories: Children