Fox' new son

One day, a little boy walked and met a fox.

- “Do you want to visit my home?” - asked a fox. The boy agrees because he was curious.

A vixen allowed him to sit on her back and ran far away, through a field, through a river, through bushes into a big green forest. There, was a hole in the ground under an oak roots.

- “This is my den.” - said the vixen. But I do not live here alone, a badger lives with me. To not scare him, you must wear fox skin now and pretend you are my kit.

The boy agrees. He took off his clothes and wears a fox costume with long ears, black paws and a bushy tail. It had gaps between paws and flaps on tummy, but otherwise, he looks like a young fox in it. Especially, if he climbs allfours. He explores the den, there were many tunnels and rooms. He met with badger too, and told him: “I am the new kit”. After a while, he tired and go sleep on a straw pile.

When morning comes, a boy climbed outside, but there were no his clothes anymore! Somebody has stolen them. “Miss fox, help me!” - he started to cry. - “I can't go home naked.”

- “Oh, no, we had to put it inside for a night” - said the fox - “May be Mister Raccoon had taken it. I'll go and steal them back. While alone, do not leave the den – forest is dangerous”.

So, the boy waits for a day, at night the fox returns with some fruits for him to eat. She met raccoon, but there were no boy's clothes. Next day, she decides to see the Crow. Next – the Squirrel. And it all repeats, day after day.

While the boy played near the den, the old badger teaches him about forest life: how to track smell, what is edible, how to groom his fur, how to use his tail, what is dangerous and how to hide from big predators. The boy quickly learns everything. He is able to see in the dark, run silently through bushes on his soft paws. He could name all the plants, fungi and animals in this forest. He can even hunt himself now.

He became quick and agile, his paws grew strong, his teeth sharp and his sense of smell perfect. One day, he says to the vixen: “Mother, I think it would be better to go to humans and steal clothes there”. She agrees.

They run from the forest back to the bushes, to the river, through a field into the city. They found some children's clothes hanging on a rope and take it.

Then, the boy tried to take off his fox skin. But it would not come! There were no gaps between his paws and arms, no flaps on his tummy. The skin grew into his body. “Mommy, help me to take it away!” - screamed he.

- “I can't.” - answered the fox - “And nobody can. You are grown-up now and only children can change their skins. You are fox for the rest of your life. It's me who stole your clothes in the beginning”

- “Why? Why you did it?” - asked the former boy.

- ”Because I was alone. Humans killed all the foxes here, so I can't find a pair. I decide there are too many boys. And you look more beautiful as a young fox than a fur-less tailless kid.”

The young fox start to think. Yes, live in the forest was more interesting than his previous one. Now, he has only vague memories about walking on two legs (how slow and silly!), learning in school (boring!) and watching TV (very dumb: to sit and see flat pictures even without a smell).

- “Yes, I like to be a fox” - said he. But... Now I am alone too.

- “No problems, ” - answered his adopting mother. - “ now we can explore this city and find some girl who makes a great new vixen”.

And they did.