Reading Notes: China Fox-Fire, Part B

Notes: China: Fox-Fire Part B

(Fox: by Wikicommons)

Characters:

• Fox: The fox is the keeper of the elixir of life.
• Farmer: The farmer is the one who steals the elixir of life from the fox. 

Elixir of Life:

• What it does:
• makes you invisible
• you are able to interact with the spirit world
• ability to see ghost and devils
• call back the souls of those who are sick or dead
• could plead for the forgiveness of sins

• What I could add
• gives you immortality
• gives you super strength
• gives you knowledge
• allow you to go anywhere and do anything instantaneous
• ability to talk with animals 

Questions I Have and Possible Answers:

• Why did the fox not sneak up sooner and take the elixir?
• He was testing the boy
• He truly feared his strength 
• How did the fox not age without the elixir?
• since he was the keeper he does not age
• he created another one that was less powerful
• Could the fox not create a new elixir?
• maybe there is only one that the fox was trusted with 
• If the elixir could make the consumer invisible, why was the fox not invisible?
• the fox did not want to be invisible because he wanted to test the boy
• Why was the fox playing with the elixir?
• help it grow more powerful
• How did the fox originally get the elixir?
• a gift from parents that has been passed down
• a gift from the spirits
• What is the mans life now like without the elixir?
• he ages quickly and is poor

Overall, I was captivated by the story. If I were to retell the story I would just add to it. If I wanted to set up the story, I would focus on how the fox came across the elixir. Maybe it could be some battle or something grand such as that. 

Bibliography: 

Chinese Fairy Tales Part B by Donald Mackenzie. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook