Yarn: It's not an April Fool's Joke, I swear!

Several years ago, one April Fool's evening, I was visiting my brother at his home, our family home of several generations, in Hanover County, Virginia. My brother loves to talk on the phone and was chatting away with one of his buddies, while we were in the kitchen, post-dinner, having a drink - a family tradition among males of my family.

His conversation and my drinking were abruptly interrupted by a big commotion involving one of his dogs just outside the kitchen door leading to the car port. He told the buddy to hold, put the phone down and we both rushed outside to see what the dog had cornered.

Whatever the creature, it was obviously under the car parked just outside the door. My brother grabbed one of those big "Mag-Light" flashlights and picked a spot near the dogs to bend down and check it out. Just as he started to point the light under the car, something lunged out at him and attacked his ankle! It made possessed growls & noises while he let out startled yells. He swung that flashlight for all he was worth - while the dog barked and lunged at the thing. I'm pretty sure my reaction added to the mayhem too.

After a substantial number of blows and the dust settled, we looked at each other in disbelief and at the dead fox on the ground at my brother's feet. It took another minute and not a little effort to get the fox carcass safely away from the dog.

We were immediately sure that this fox had rabies (confirmed later by the Game Warden) and now I was looking at a large, nasty tear in my brothers blue jeans right at the ankle. Fortunately… he had on heavy leather hunting boots and the foxes teeth, while destroying his jeans, didn't penetrate the boot.

Then he realized - his buddy was still on hold! He picked up, still out of breath. I was sure the guy had heard the chaos - we had left the kitchen door open in the rush. My brother excitedly related the brief adventure to his friend. Then I heard him say, "No, I'm not kidding." Pause… "No, I SWEAR. It's not an April Fool's trick!" "No, I SWEAR, it was a fox. It attacked me!" The guy wouldn't believe him! Convinced it was an elaborate April Fool's hoax!

He'd been the victim of several of my brother's practical jokes and was now sure my brother was crying wolf. Or rather crying fox!

This of course drove my brother crazy. He finally managed to get the guy out the next day to show him the carcass and the jeans. We both still tell the story.

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