Foxes and thieves symbolize fear and illustrate the theme of Fear Versus Courage. While the connection between the two might not seem obvious, Crane-man draws an interesting parallel at the beginning of the story when he says that a thief is “no better than a dog” (20). Foxes are members of the canine family and close biological relatives of dogs. In addition, foxes have a special meaning in Korean folklore: “They were known to be fiendishly clever. Some people even believed that foxes possessed evil magic. It was said that a fox could lure a man to his doom” (82-83). Significantly, Crane-man is also frightened of foxes. The old man ran away when a fox crossed his path on the way to the monastery. Because he allowed fear to stop him, he ended up living under a bridge.

Foxes and thieves intimidate Tree-ear as well. However, unlike Crane-man, Tree-ear does not run away from these sources of terror. Tree-ear encounters a fox on the journey to Songdo, but remains with Min’s pottery despite his intense fear. Later, Tree-ear has an even more threatening encounter with two robbers who steal his money and shatter his precious sample vases.