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A fox can move remarkably fast, but a large German Shepherd Dog, bounding in massive strides, is faster. So fast in fact, that Tolstoy can’t slow down properly to arrest the fox. It’s extremely rare that he gets to do what he was trained for, and in any case his training was to immobilise fully grown humans, not to catch a fox one quarter his size.
Adjusting his stride to make contact with the fox, Tolstoy brings his left front paw down onto the fox’s left shoulder. Both KristalClear and TedTalker are running as fast as they can in the hope that they can save the fox from a mauling. KristalClear is still determined to try to communicate with the fox.
The fox loses its footing, falls to the right, and drops something from its mouth. Tolstoy flies over the top of the fox and continues on for a further three or four metres before managing to turn around in a cloud of dust.
In a most inelegant, unfoxlike manner, the fox scrambles back to its feet and makes a dash for the narrow passage beneath the fence.
Momentarily, Tolstoy’s attention is distracted by something else scurrying away.
Quickly, renewing his focus on the pursuit of the fox, Tolstoy reaches the fence just as the fox’s tail disappears.
« Tedious creatures, foxes, » thinks Tolstoy, « not like proper canines at all! »
Due to all the flying dust, KristalClear and TedTalker can’t see exactly what’s happening, but they can see enough to realise that the fox has escaped.
Tolstoy is no longer interested in the fleeing fox. Looking to his left, then down at his feet, he looks around and then up again, and to his left once more. He sees the rat disappearing through the mesh in the fence and running off into the scrubland.
KristalClear and TedTalker are pretty sure they saw a rat too, just before it vanished. They reach the spot where all the commotion occurred. They praise and cuddle Tolstoy whilst at the same time inspecting the ground in front of them.
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