“The Tail of the Raccoon, Part III: Departures” is the third story of The Sign Tracker
Trilogy. This story follows the adventures of a raccoon family living in the Eastern
Woodlands and further depicts the relatively early stages of the drug addiction process.
Lepus, the youngest son of the raccoon character, Sign Tracker, enjoys the intoxicating
effects of the potion presented in the silk vial. In the presence of the vial, though he
intends to quit, Lepus is powerless to restrain himself. Because he is triggered into taking
the drug, Lepus must depart from the environments mindful of drug use. Included with
the story is an Educational Commentary that explains how the development of Sign-
Tracking triggers relapse to drug-taking.
