The Big-Eared Guide
Rumours
They say a shy fox with huge ears lives by an oasis, at the foot of a dune. At dusk she darts about a crack in the sand and whimpers — as if calling someone.
Who: Fennec fox
Hints
Open them one at a time — from a gentle nudge to plain advice. "Good to know" is about what might trip you up.
Hint 1
The fennec fox is very shy and runs off at once. But there's something more important by her burrow: listen at the crack in the sand.
Hint 2
You can't reach the cub at the bottom of the crack with your hands. Let a basket down on a rope, with bait inside: a grub.
Hint 3
Rope is twisted from palm fiber, and a basket is woven from papyrus. You get both with a sword.
Hint 4
The mother fox won't be tamed in a day. Come to the burrow at dusk with dates, and don't get too close.
Hint 5
Each evening she lets you a little nearer, and on the third evening it looks like you might stroke her.
Good to know
- Dusk is short: it's the time right around sunset. By day or at night the fox won't take the dates.
- In a world with other players, only one of you helps the fox at a time: if another player is already on it, or someone already helped her today, come back tomorrow.
Full solution
Show the whole solution
This is the whole story of the quest, to the very end.
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Find the fennec burrow at the foot of a dune by an oasis. Beside it is a crack in the sand with a cub squeaking at the bottom. Stand at the edge of the crack and press E (on a phone, the glowing action button): it's clear you need a basket on a rope with a grub for bait.
From Cubby's diary
Found a fennec burrow by a dune! The mother is shy — off she ran. And down a crack in the sand squeaks her cub: he fell to the very bottom. Can't reach! A basket on a rope would do — with a grub for bait.
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Palm Fiber: strike a date palm's trunk with a sword (click, or the action button on a phone): a strip peels off the bark and falls, and you pick it up by walking over it. One strip per palm a day. At the workbench lay three strips in a column to make a Rope.
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Papyrus grows by the water in oases: a swing of the sword at a clump takes one stem (one stem per clump a day). At the workbench lay three stems in a bowl shape, two at the edges of the top row and one in the middle below, to make a Basket.
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Look for a grub in the sand: drill the sand just under the surface, and now and then a Grub comes up with it.
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With the rope, basket and grub, stand by the crack and press E (the action button on a phone). You lower the basket and the cub climbs in after the grub; when "Pull!" appears, press or hold E (the action button on a phone) to haul him up. The cub runs to his mother, and the rope comes back to you.
From Cubby's diary
Let the basket down the crack — the cub smelled the grub, climbed in, and I pulled him up! His mother licked him from ears to tail and said thank you. But she won't come near me: she's scared.
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The mother fox is still scared. Come to the burrow at dusk, right at sunset, with dates (shake a date palm by pressing E next to it). At the burrow press E (the action button on a phone) to "Leave the dates", then step back about six blocks: the fox comes out to eat.
From Cubby's diary
At dusk I left dates by the burrow and sat far off. The fox came out, ate and stared at me a long while. Come back tomorrow, she said, same hour — and sit a little closer.
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Come back the next evening, again with a date, and this time step back only about three blocks. It's one evening a day: if she's already eaten today, come back tomorrow.
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On the third evening leave the dates once more: the fox eats, walks up to you by herself and sits right beside you.
From Cubby's diary
Third evening! She ate, came over by herself and sat right by me: "Now I know you. I'm not scared." Maybe I can stroke her…
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Press E next to her (the action button on a phone) to stroke the fox. Out of the burrow comes Fenny, all grown up a little: now he's your friend and follows you, and his mother gives you a Whistle. Hold the whistle and press the right mouse button or E (the action button on a phone): Fenny finds where keys jingle underground and yips: "Here! Dig here!"
From Cubby's diary
Stroked the fox — and out of the burrow came Fenny, my cub, grown a little! Now he's my friend and follows me. And his mother gave me a whistle: I blow it, and Fenny listens for keys jingling underground.
Reward
Fenny follows me. Take the whistle in hand, press RMB or E — Fenny listens for jingling keys, runs there and yips: "Here! Dig here!" Three searches a day free; a treat of dates or a grub gives two more.