One day, a young fox entered a stream that flowed down towards a valley far to the south. He swam upstream towards the north where he knew a verdant meadow waited for him.

Later that day another, slightly older, fox walked along the path and saw the young fox swimming in the stream.

"Where are you going?" the older fox called out to the younger.

"I'm swimming north, to the meadow at the foot of the mountains," the swimming fox replied.

"So am I!" the other fox exclaimed, "Why don’t you come onshore and join me? We can travel together."

The younger fox paused and thought about the idea for a moment.

"No thank you, sir, I’m enjoying myself here in the stream. It’s hard work swimming against the current, but the water is cool and I’m enjoying myself," the younger fox replied.

The older fox, not understanding why any fox would want to swim, just shook his head and continued to walk on.

"Suit yourself," he said. Since he walked on a well-worn path next to the stream, he moved much faster than the swimming fox and was soon far out of sight.

The next day a young deer walked along the path enjoying the warm spring sunshine. The young deer noticed the fox swimming in the swollen stream and called out to him.

"Fox, why are you swimming in the stream?"

"I’m going to the meadow far to the north where the grass is plentiful and there I can live well and enjoy myself," he responded.

"I’m going to the meadow as well!" the young deer exclaimed, joyed at the prospect of having a traveling companion. "Why don’t you join me and we can walk together?"

"No thank you," said the fox. "Here in the water I’m able to view the forest from a new perspective, one that most animals aren’t able to enjoy. I will continue swimming."

"Suit yourself," said the deer. Since she walked on a well-worn path next to the stream, she moved much faster than the swimming fox and was soon far out of sight.

That night it rained heavily and runoff swelled the stream. The current became strong and the swimming fox had to fight hard against it. He was a very stubborn young fox, but he was a strong swimmer and he continued to make progress against the current. He was so intent on his swimming that he did not realize the current was carrying him downstream further away from the meadow at the top of the valley.

An older tortoise walked slowly along the path next to the stream, which had become muddied with the rain. As he walked, he looked over into the river and saw the fox, intent on his swimming, and saw that he was struggling against the current.

"Fox, why are you swimming in the stream?" the tortoise called out to him. The fox was tired from fighting the current and it took him several moments to answer.

"I’m going to the meadow... far to the north... where the grass is plentiful," the tired young fox responded.

"I’m going to the meadow as well!" exclaimed the tortoise. "Why don’t you come out of that swollen stream and we will walk together?" the tortoise proposed.

The swimming fox paused from swimming and glanced up at the tortoise. He saw how far away from the stream’s edge he was and how fast the current was moving. He was cold and tired but it was almost easier to stay swimming than to fight the current and swim ashore.

"The current is strong and I am far away from the edge of the stream. It will take too long to swim to you so I will remain here and keep swimming towards the meadow."

The tortoise saw the fox determinedly swimming upstream and also saw that he was slowly losing ground to the current. He couldn’t understand why the fox was swimming when there was a clear, worn path next to the stream going the same place he desired to go. The older tortoise slowly shook his head at the young fox's foolishness.

"Suit yourself," the tortoise slowly called back to him.

Since he was walking on a well-worn path next to the stream, the very slow tortoise moved much faster than the swimming fox and soon he was far out of sight.

Not realizing the current was forcing him backwards, the fox saw the tortoise lumber quickly away from him.

"When did tortoises become so quick?" he thought to himself.

Only then did the idea occur to him that he was working very hard to get to the meadow when others were going to the meadow as well, only much quicker and with much less effort.

He pondered that the rest of the day and on into the night as he struggled in the stream against the swift current.

The next morning there were no animals walking along the path. The stream had calmed and the forest was quiet.

The fox picked his head up out of the water and looked at his quiet, sunlit surroundings. Then, he slowly swam over to the bank and wearily pulled himself out of the water. After pausing to catch his breath and steady his legs, he shook the water from his coat and slowly stumbled up through the mud onto the heavily worn path beside the stream. He looked north, in the direction of the meadow.

And he walked.