Frankie the Fox and the Father’s Day Surprise
By Bill Conley
Moral of the Story:
Father’s Day is a special time to celebrate dads and the role they play in our
lives. Dads teach us, protect us, guide us, and love us in ways that help us
grow strong and confident. Saying “thank you” and showing appreciation makes
dads feel valued and seen. Even the smallest gesture—like a hug, a handmade
card, or helping with a chore—can make Father’s Day unforgettable.
In the shady woods of Maple Hollow,
a clever little fox named Frankie woke up with the sun shining through the
trees.
He stretched, yawned, and padded
into the den’s main room where his mom was tying a ribbon around a small wooden
box.
“What’s that for?” Frankie asked,
his nose twitching.
His mom smiled. “It’s for your dad.
Today is Father’s Day.”
Frankie blinked. “Father’s Day?
Like… a birthday for dads?”
“Sort of,” she said. “It’s a day to
celebrate how special dads are and everything they do for us.”
Frankie tilted his head. “But what
do dads really do?”
His mom chuckled. “Why don’t you
take a walk and think about all the ways your dad helps you? Maybe then you’ll
understand why we honor him today.”
So Frankie trotted outside, curious
about this day he had never really paid much attention to before.
He wandered past the river, where
Benny the Beaver was building a new dam.
“Hey Benny! Do you know what today
is?” Frankie asked.
“Sure do!” Benny replied, wiping his
paws. “It’s Father’s Day. I gave my dad a new chisel for carving wood.”
Frankie thought for a moment. “What
makes your dad special?”
Benny grinned. “He taught me how to
build strong dams, how to cut wood just right, and how to stay safe near deep
water.”
Frankie nodded. “That’s pretty
cool.”
Further down the trail, he met Lucy
the Ladybug sitting on a daisy.
“Hi Lucy! What are you doing?”
“I just left a card on my dad’s
leaf,” she said. “He always tells me stories at bedtime and gives me the best
advice when I’m worried.”
Frankie’s ears perked up. “So, dads
teach and comfort too?”
Lucy nodded. “Yep. And they make us
feel safe.”
Frankie continued walking, thinking
about what his own dad did.
His dad, Freddie the Fox, always
helped him with his homework, showed him how to climb trees safely, and tucked
him in at night with a funny joke.
He remembered the time they fixed a
wobbly bridge together… or how his dad sat with him when he was scared of
thunder.
Frankie paused.
“Dads do a lot more than I
realized,” he whispered.
He ran back home as fast as his paws
could carry him.
His mom was just finishing
breakfast.
“Mom!” Frankie gasped. “I want to do
something special for Dad too!”
She smiled. “What do you have in
mind?”
Frankie thought hard. “I want to
give him something that says thank you for everything. But… I don’t have money
or big gifts.”
“You don’t need money,” she said.
“The best gifts come from the heart.”
So Frankie grabbed his favorite
stick and began to scratch out a card on a big leaf.
He wrote:
Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
Thank you for making me laugh,
for teaching me how to climb,
and for always being there.
I love you so much!
Then he gathered wildflowers,
stacked some smooth stones, and made a tiny trail of surprises leading from
their den to a sunny spot under the trees.
There, he placed the leaf card with
the flowers beside it.
He even picked a few berries—his
dad’s favorite snack—and arranged them in a little bowl.
When his dad woke up, Frankie took
him by the paw.
“Come with me! I made something for
you.”
Freddie the Fox followed, yawning
with curiosity, and when he turned the corner and saw the display, his eyes
widened.
“Did you make all this?”
Frankie nodded. “Happy Father’s Day,
Dad. I just wanted to say thank you—for everything.”
Freddie knelt down and wrapped his
son in a big, warm hug.
“This means more to me than
anything, Frankie.”
Frankie’s tail swished with joy.
They sat in the sunny spot, eating
berries and talking about their favorite memories together.
Frankie asked, “What’s the best
thing about being a dad?”
Freddie smiled. “Watching you grow
up into someone kind, curious, and full of heart.”
Frankie beamed. “Well, I couldn’t do
that without you.”
That night, as stars twinkled above
the trees, Frankie curled up beside his dad in the den.
“Dad?” he whispered sleepily.
“Yes, buddy?”
“I think I’ll always celebrate
Father’s Day now. Because today I saw just how lucky I am to have you.”
Freddie gently patted his son’s
head. “And I’m lucky to have you, Frankie.”
From that year on, Frankie made
Father’s Day a tradition.
One year it was a berry breakfast,
the next a song he wrote himself.
And every time, his dad smiled with
tears in his eyes—not because the gifts were big, but because the love behind
them was.
Moral Poem to End the Story:
He teaches, listens, laughs, and plays,
He guides you through your growing days.
A dad’s love leads in quiet ways—
So tell him thanks this Father’s Day.
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