The Boy and the Backyard Fox

Daniel is a curious boy with a gap-toothed smile who loves exploring his backyard, where tall grass waves and trees make shady spots. One sunny morning he catches a flash of rusty orange near the fence, and the next day he sits quietly on the back steps until a fox trots into the yard, its white-tipped tail swishing. Remembering his mother's words that wild animals need space, Daniel decides to observe the fox every day rather than chase it.

When his best friend Mia arrives and wants to chase the fox and feed it a cracker, Daniel stops her, explaining that people food can make wild animals sick and that a fox unafraid of people is a fox in danger. Their friend Sam is sure the fox is made up until it darts across the yard, and together the three friends hide behind a big oak tree to watch it pounce on a field mouse, scratch behind its ear and bury food for later. Day by day Daniel learns the fox's habits, and the children who gather at the fence learn to watch quietly from a distance. Jane MEADOW's gentle story about curiosity, patience and respect for wildlife can be read on Kids Tale Book.