fox family

Jake called out to his ma. "Hey mom, I'm going to the woods and marsh." Jake loved the woods. His ma had taught him about the plants, and animals. She had taught both her children how to respect nature. She also taught them the love of just watching animals at play.
"Wait up Jake!" His sister Caroline called. " I'll go with you." Caroline loved the marsh as much as Jake. They'd bring a big bucket and catch crayfish ,frogs, turtles and such. Once they even caught snakes. They'd bring them home to show ma and she'd ooh and ahh over them, then she'd tell them to set them free. Ma never allowed any wild thing to be captured for long.
Patiently Jake waited for his sister. Even though she was three years older she was his best friend. Ma would often find them with their heads together, giggling over something. "They're my angels ." ma would think to herself.
Today Jake and Caroline had a special treat coming for them, though they didn't know it. While walking past the big oak tree, the one with the hollow at the base, they heard a mewling sound. "shhhhh" Caroline told Jake."Did you hear that." Jake cocked his head to listen more closely. "Yeah, I wonder what that is. It's coming from the tree."
They walked quietly to the tree and to their surprise they saw three fox kits. "Oh, look how sweet they are!" whispered Caroline. Jake was in awe. He'd never seen fox kits before. "yeah, they sure are cute sis" He said.
" I wonder where their ma is."
Caroline and Jake nestled quietly in leaves a few feet back to watch the kits. "Jake, foxes are night creatures aren't they? I mean don't they usually not come out until night?"
"Yeah, you're right. Foxes are night critters. I remember ma saying that."
"So where's their ma." Caroline asked? " I don?t know." Said Jake. "Maybe we should leave and she'll come back. We are down wind too, like ma says ,she should'nt even know we were here."
"Alright, we'll go to the marsh and then check back later." replied Caroline.
So off they went. They spent a few hours kicking around the marsh. Tickling crayfish, chasing minnows and watching the geese. The mating pair that spends every spring and summer there had four fuzzy goslings. The children laughed watching them waddle.
"Let's go see if the fox came back to her kits." said Jake. "OK." Caroline replied. So they started off for the big oak.
While walking back they caught sight of a bushy red tail. It wasn't moving. Caroline grasped Jakes arm. "look." She said quietly. Jake turned to the direction Caroline's finger pointed to. "It isn't moving. Oh no. I don't want to look, but I have to go see." Jake whispered.
Jake started quietly through the underbrush. He moved aside a branch and looked down. "OH! Caroline, I think it's their mama. She's not moving. Looks like she got into a fight." Caroline moved to where Jake had hunkered down. "Should we touch her and find out if she's alive?" Jake didn't hesitate, he gently reached out to the fox. "She's still breathing! Lets get something to carry her in. Wait. I'll just use my shirt." Jake quickly peeled off his tee shirt and with a light touch moved the fox onto it so he could wrap her up.
"What about the kits? How are they going to take care of themselves. There's no one there to protect them." Caroline tearfully said.
" We'll go get them and place them in the bucket. Take them home to ma. She'll know what to do." Jake said.
The two children hurried to the tree. Each afraid something may have already found the kits. To their relief they were still there unharmed. The fox mother stirred in Jake's arms when she heard her young. Jake whispered quietly to her that everything would be alright and she calmed.
Caroline reached in the tree for the kits. Feeling their softness and fragility she gently placed them in the bucket. They started mewling again and Caroline was in tears. "shhhh babies, it'll be alright. Our mama will help your mama get better then we'll set you free again."
They trundled off home. "Ma! Ma!" Jake shouted. "Quick, we need your help!"
Their ma came running over from where she was placing wash on the line. "What ya got there kidlets?" She asked.
"We found 'em ma. She's hurt and the kits are too small to defend themselves." Jake stated. " Can you help them ma? Please?"
"Well son let me take a look here." She gently unwrapped the fox mother. She started making crooning noises to keep her calm. She felt around the foxes body. Surprised that it would let her. " She's got a broken leg and a nice gash on her front shoulder. She either fell or was fighting something. Quick, Caroline go find me some small sticks and bring gauze and my antibiotic cream. We'll fix her up." Ma said.
"Jake go find a nice big box we can place the family in once I'm done. This way after I clean mother here up, we can put the family back together."
The children scurried to do as ma asked. In no time at all it seemed ma had everything under control. The kits were crawling over their ma, and the mother fox seemed content to be in the box.
Three weeks passed and the fox kits were getting rough and tumbly. The mother fox seemed to accept ma, and even took food from ma's hand. Ma made sure she and the kids did not touch the kits over much or the mother might reject them.
"Alrighty kids, I believe it's time to take the family back to their home. I'm going to take the splint off the mother when we get there. If she can walk, we'll go. If not we'll take them back for another week."
The human family set out with the fox family. When they got to the big oak they peeked inside to make sure no other critter had claimed the nest. It was empty.
"OK, give me the box Jake." Ma said. Ma gently picked up the mother. She drew a pair of scissors out from her pocket and snipped the gauze away. She lay mama fox inside the tree. The mama tried to stand right away. She fell back down, but quickly tried to stand again. She was a little bit wobbly but she did it.
"YES!" Exclaimed Caroline. "You did it ma, you healed her up good. She sure is pretty."
Jake handed his mother the wiggly kits one by one. They nestled in close to their ma. Four sets of eyes gazed out at the human family.The fox mother licked ma's hand, as if to say thank you. Ma's eyes were shiny with unshed tears of joy. " We?ll miss ya girl, hope you and your babies will come visit someday." Said ma. Hand in hand the human family headed home.
A few weeks later at dusk they were all out on the back porch swing. Sipping lemonade and wondering about the fox family. Suddenly Jake went quiet. "Look ma!"
Ma turned her head to where Jake pointed. There a few yards away she could see four bushy tails and four sets of eyes watching them. "Well kids, there's your answer. I guessed they miss us too." Ma whispered. Everyone sat back and watched the fox family play until they silently went back into the woods. Jake, Caroline and ma all said a prayer to keep their fox family safe and hearts filled with joy went back to sipping their lemonade no longer wondering about their fox family. They just smiled and they were pretty sure God was smiling too.
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