Toby was a brave fox who lived in the forest of Miombo. He was kind and helpful to all the animals who lived there. They all respected Toby and trusted him with their problems. Even the lion king, who ruled over the forest, often asked Toby for his advice and wisdom.
One day, a terrible thing happened. A cruel hunter came to the forest and captured the lion king’s son. He put him in a cage and took him away to the village. The lion king was heartbroken and angry. He called for Toby and begged him to help him rescue his son.
“Toby, you are my only hope. You are brave and smart. You know the ways of the humans. Please, bring back my son. He is my pride and joy.”
Toby felt sorry for the lion king. He also loved the lion cub, who was his best friend. They used to play together and have fun in the forest.
“Don’t worry, your majesty. I will do my best to save your son. I will go to the village and find him. I will be back soon.”
Toby said goodbye to the lion king and set off for the village. He ran as fast as he could, avoiding the traps and dangers along the way. He reached the village and looked around. He saw many houses, shops, cars and people. He also saw many cages with different animals inside them.
He searched for the lion cub among them. He finally found him in a big cage near a truck. The cage had a sign that said “For Sale”. The hunter was talking to a man who looked like he worked for a circus.
“Look at this magnificent beast,” the hunter said. “He is young and strong. He will make a great attraction for your circus. I will sell him to you for a good price.”
The circus man nodded and smiled. He took out some money and handed it to the hunter.
“Deal,” he said. “I will take him with me right away.”
Toby saw this and felt angry and sad. He had to act fast before they took away his friend. He looked around and saw a pile of hay near the truck. He had an idea.
He sneaked behind the hay and set it on fire with his lighter. He had taken it from the hunter’s pocket when he passed by him earlier.
The hay caught fire quickly and soon there was smoke and flames everywhere.
“Fire! Fire!” people shouted.
The hunter and the circus man ran away from the truck, leaving the cage behind.
Toby ran to the cage and used his teeth to break the lock. He opened the door and freed the lion cub.
“Come on, buddy,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
The lion cub was happy to see Toby. He hugged him and thanked him.
“Toby, you are amazing,” he said. “You saved me from those bad men. How can I ever repay you?”
“You don’t have to repay me anything,” Toby said. “You are my friend. That’s what friends do for each other.”
They ran away from the village, back to the forest. They reached the forest and met the lion king, who was waiting anxiously for them. He saw his son and Toby and was overjoyed. He hugged them both and thanked Toby profusely.
“Toby, you are a hero,” he said. “You have done me a great service today. You have saved my son from a terrible fate. You have my eternal gratitude.” He gave Toby a medal of honor and declared him an honorary member of his family. The other animals cheered for Toby and praised him for his bravery. Toby felt proud and happy. He had done a good deed today.
