A Story Told by a Fox 



Martha E. Quick 



Ithaca, X. Y. 



(This story was written to make more vivid to the children of a Rural School 

 the habits of a fox which they had been able to observe.) 



Here on the top of Bald Mountain is my home whence I have 

 escaped from my many menacing foes. Wild under-brush is all 

 about me, while high above my head towers the rocks and crags. 

 What an ideal place in which to spend the rest of my days. Before 

 I lie down in some snug corner beneath the rocks, I will go to the 

 top of yonder jutting rock and look once more over the wide 

 expanse of country- that stretches below. 



How well I know and love all the thickets, the gently sloping 

 fields with warm sandy knolls, the deep wooded slopes beyond, 

 the narrow brook winding slowly along. I know, too, the ones 

 who live in those large scattered shapes nestled among some trees 

 where the smoke curls slowly upward. Yonder the cows and 

 sheep are comfortably grazing in the pasture while many of my 

 brothers, both friends and foes, which I cannot see are learning 

 their lessons of the wild. 



The first place which I remember was a warm cozy nest where 

 I lay and slept most of the time. My four soft brothers and sisters 

 lay cuddled close around me while near us lay the great furry 

 mother who gave us plenty of warm milk. As I began to use 

 my eyes and look about, I saw that this dark hollow was not all 

 of the world. I saw the great light space from which my mother 

 appeared and disappeared often -being gone for hours at a time. 

 I began to scramble about but my slim little legs would not carry 

 me far. At last one day we followed our mother through the 

 great space. How surprised I was to see the great world which 

 now spread below me. At first I shrank back afraid, but after 

 a little coaxing I slunk around the juniper bush near the mouth 

 of the den out into the broad sunlight. I saw there the warm 

 sandy knoll with one or two low bushes near at hand. Far below 

 I saw the tall trees and the brook far beyond. 



Our mother stretched herself comfortably a little way below 

 and smiled good-naturedly at her five yellow fuzzy children. 

 I suddenly felt very happy and playful and sprang toward her 

 trying to tell her how happy I was. All my brothers and sisters 



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