Once a seed sprouts, it can't go anywhere. What's the real reason?

The fox

stopped in his tracks, feeling something was off.

Before him was a vast forest, dark and impenetrable. Straight trunks pierced the blue sky, and the fox had to crane his neck to see the treetops. When did such a large forest appear?

The fox turned to call the rabbit and the beaver, but the rabbit and the beaver had disappeared somewhere. How strange, they were clearly just here a moment ago...

The fox licked the tip of his nose and thought it over. Might as well go in and take a look, since it was right there in front of him. The rabbit and the beaver would probably catch up soon.

As soon as he stepped into the forest, the fox felt wrapped in a damp chill. The light inside was dim, and even the fox found it a bit hard to see. The ground was soft fine grass and moist soil, mixed with the scent of rotting leaves. The fox's fingertips sank into the soil, fine and slightly cool. He took a deep breath and found the smell somewhat familiar.

Why did it feel familiar? The fox flicked his ears and shook his head. He carefully stepped forward, testing his way, but still stepped on something sharp.

The fox let out a low yelp of pain and lifted his front paw. A hard spine was stuck in his toe, with a tiny husk hanging from it.

The fox carefully removed the husk and tentatively lay down, licking the small bead of blood that welled up on his toe. In the dim forest, that little bead of blood looked like a tiny black berry.

This

is a European beech forest, the fox thought. I once walked through a forest like this, and I once got my foot pricked by the spines on the husks. But how strange, a European beech forest, why would it appear here?

The fox couldn't figure it out. He sat up and looked behind him. Behind him was also dense forest, with no visible edge, no sunlight, and no sign of the rabbit and the beaver.

"Even stranger," the fox murmured to himself. "I clearly only walked in a few steps..."

As if it had heard the fox's words, the forest fell silent. The birdsong that had occasionally been audible just now disappeared, and the rustling of wind through the leaves was gone too. The fox took a deep breath and felt his own breathing was uncomfortably loud. The fox turned around, carefully counting his steps, and walked back the way he had come.

But the way back had vanished. Only beech trees stood proudly like sentinels, stretching to an unseen end, with thick roots emerging from the ground. The ground was still soft fine grass and fine soil, but the fox felt the temperature in the air seemed to have dropped too.

The

fox sat down and scratched his ear with a hind foot. His big tail swept the ground irritably, flicking up a few hard husks.

The fox tilted his head in confusion and opened his eyes wide to search, but he couldn't find who was speaking. "Who are you? I can't see you."

The voice sounded again, seeming to come from the left, then from the right. "You've already seen me."

"Have I?" the fox replied, wrinkling his nose and sniffing carefully. There was still only the smell of soil, grass, and trees, no other scent. "Where are you?"

This time the voice came from all directions, carrying a gentle smile. "I am this forest."

"Yes." The voice seemed to speak in the fox's mind. "Actually, you've already seen me, you just think you haven't. Do you remember me?"

"I... am seeing you for the first time today, right?" The fox blinked. "It's the first time, right?"

"We've met before," said the European beech forest, its voice unhurried. "Last time you got your foot pricked by my husk, and you talked with me for a long time."

"Before..." The fox grew even more confused. "I did once pass through a European beech forest, but that was a long time ago, and it wasn't here, it was in Europe."

"I just changed places, and you can't recognize me anymore?" The forest's voice seemed a little aggrieved. "No matter where I am, I'm still me."

"It's not that..." The fox didn't quite know how to explain. "But, but, you should be in Europe. How can a forest move?"

"Well," said the forest, "could it be that you ran off to find me?"

The

fox suddenly felt a wave of bewilderment. It did seem that he had run into this forest himself, and it seemed he had walked a very long way, and it seemed he had met many animals, and it seemed he had said many things... it really did seem that way?

"Then, tell me," said the forest, its voice seeming to fill the whole space, "you said you wanted to find your own happiness. So have you found it now?"

The fox blinked and licked the tip of his nose. "I have, right? I feel very happy."

"Why does your tone sound so uncertain?" the forest said slowly. "You say you're very happy. Is this happiness?"

"I don't know either." The fox lowered his head. "Sometimes I ask myself too, but I can't find an answer. I think it should be happiness, after all... after all, everything I could imagine has come true. The rabbit, the beaver, and the mole are all well, and being with them is happy..."

"But it still feels a little off?" the forest quickly added.

"Yes." The fox nodded in admission. "Sometimes - especially when I'm sleeping - I doubt whether this is the life I want. I don't know if there's a life that suits me better, and I don't know if I should keep searching..."

"As

for me, at first I was just a tiny fruit." The forest changed the subject. "I could go anywhere. I could hang on a fox's tail and hitch a ride, or roll around with the wind."

The fox looked back at his tail, where a few cracked-open husks seemed to be smiling at him.

"Then, after finding a suitable place, I began to sprout." The forest paused meaningfully. "And then, slowly growing and growing, there came to be such a large forest."

The fox blinked.

"Once I start sprouting, I can't go anywhere," the forest continued. "This place may not be the most suitable for me, but being able to let me sprout here is already good enough."

The fox thought for a moment and slowly nodded. "You mean, once you find a place that satisfies you, that's enough, and you shouldn't go looking for other places?"

"No." The forest laughed, like the rustling of wind through leaves. "I'm just a plant. Once I take root, I can't walk anymore. But you're an animal. You're born able to walk around."

"Then, you mean, I should keep searching?"

"That depends on you," said the forest. "If you feel it's good enough, then you don't need to search anymore; if you're still unwilling to accept it, then go search."

"But..." The fox flicked his ears. "But here there's the rabbit, the beaver, the mole, and also Doctor Badger, the kingfisher and the others. I really can't bear to leave them..."

"If you go forward, some things will always be left behind," said the forest. "For example, footprints and memories. Only, do you want to go? Have you found your happiness here?"

"I don't know." The fox admitted, feeling his eyes grow a little blurry. "I really don't know. Maybe... but..."

"You may find your answer," said the forest. "As long as you search, the answer will always appear. Your friends are here."

The

forest fell silent, and the fox felt as if something had suddenly left; then, the familiar forest returned: birdsong, the sound of water, the rustling of leaves. The fox listened quietly, and could also hear the rustling sounds of small animals running.

And there were other sounds too... "Fox! Fo——x——!" It was the rabbit calling. "Fox! Come out quickly!"

The fox answered, and felt his body suddenly drop downward. The fox let out a soft cry and opened his eyes.

The rabbit's voice was still calling. "Fox! Lazy——fox——! Time to get up!"

The fox looked around and found he was still in his own home. The early summer wind blew in, a little warm, carrying a pleasant hint of moisture.

So just now... was it a dream? The fox shook his head and stood up.

"Fox, come out quickly! If you don't come out, I'm coming in!"

The fox carefully wiped his face and wiped away the moisture at the corners of his eyes. "Coming!" the fox said, stepping out of his home with a smile on his face. "Where are we going today?"

To be continued