Creature Comforts Part Six

There was a lingering pause as Alice felt a strange connection with the fox. Gazing into the creatures eyes it was almost as if it were trying to tell her something. Fox pushed the plate to one side with its button nose, unblinking eyes staring up again at the woman. Then it began making strange sniffing noises, pawing at the ground, but would not enter the house.

 

“What is it?” Alice voiced, a curious look in her eyes, creases appearing on her forehead as she wondered what else this creature could want. Fox began making a high pitched yipping sound at Alice. Turning on its tail it moved away down the path and then returned as if to say, “follow me.”

 

Alice stepped outside as fox slowly ambled back down the path, every now and again turning and yipping for her to follow. As they reached the lawn, the creature moved towards her back gate which lead out onto a lane looking out across open fields. Fox turned back to gaze at the woman, sticking its nose up in the air and circled in front of the gate as if chasing its tail.

 

“Okay! I'm coming,” she announced. Alice looked around embarrassed hoping nobody could see her talking to a fox. Opening the gate the creature then scrambled over the garden wall and into the lane, now anxious to be away but still wanting her to follow.

 

The lane led to a copse where a group of trees stood in one of the open fields. Magpies sat on high branches screeching their hearts out, while crows attempted to ambush them by diving at the shrieking birds. A tractor could be seen far off in the distance collecting bales of hay, the winter feed for the farmer's cows! Thought Alice.

 

Fox began leading the way down the lane oblivious to the cry of the birds. Alice wondered why she'd not been tempted to go for a walk along the lane before, after all it was just on her doorstep, but it all seemed irrelevant when there was so much else going on in her life.

 

Perhaps I should get a dog! She considered, but decided that was a bad idea, knowing it would be irresponsible to even consider such a thing, you needed stability in your life and that was something she didn't have.

 

Alice wished she'd put on her trainers as she almost stumbled in her flip flops trying to keep up with fox, who every so often held back and circled her before continuing on its way. A little further down the lane they came to a fork, one way led down to the main road and the other led up a hill towards the ridge way, this was the route fox took as it continued.

 

It was quite steep and hard going feeling like an eternity to reach the top as she climbed trying to catch her breath. Finally at the peak fox scampered off vanishing from sight towards some bushes that led onto open land. Alice felt a cool breeze go right to her core, it made her shiver as she wondered where the creature had gone.

 

She waited as bright button eyes suddenly appeared carrying a cub. Vixen placed the baby on the earth then disappeared again, returning with yet another little squirming offspring, the two bundles of joy rolled around in the dirt, it was a sight to behold. Alice put her hands to her mouth feeling overwhelmed and not quite sure what she needed to do next.

 

The vixen nudged her babies toward Alice, as if to say, “please look after them.” The cubs waddled over to greet her. Faint yelps of hunger had Alice sure fox wouldn't mind her picking up the babies, even though she knew it was wrong to handle the cubs.

 

As she held them, Vixen made clear it was time to head back to Alice's house, it scurried towards the top of the hill, then returned circling her legs again with its bright eyes gazing eagerly.

 

Alice felt so much compassion for the creature and her cubs it bought yet again more tears to her eyes, illuminating her mood. She couldn't remember feeling this close to nature, apart from when the children were young.

 

She remembered taking her daughter and son to a petting farm where they got to mix with small animals, loving every moment with all the cuddles and kisses they supplied to the furry creatures, but that was so long ago. She'd completely forgotten all about it till now.

 

It was so gloriously quiet and uplifting on the ridge-way, it was hard to think of returning home straight away, but needs must. “I can't hang about up here it's getting late and I've got to get these cubs home and keep them safe.”

 

Alice couldn't believe how quickly her maternal instincts were kicking in. Mother fox was anxious and ready to depart her den, as they made their way down the hill and back along the lane.

 

Coming in sight of her garden, fox leaped over the wall and scarpered up the path, while Alice opened her gate still holding the cubs in her arms, very surprised at the vixen's enthusiasm. She was under the impression that all wild creatures liked open spaces and freedom and were afraid of human contact, but this creature was proving the opposite.

 

Back in her kitchen Alice set the cubs down on the floor, their tiny legs splayed unable to stand on the slippery tiles which gave her a smile. Vixen still stood in the open doorway as if afraid to step over the threshold, but quite happy to see her pups inside.

 

Going over to the bread bin, Alice pulled out a couple of slices, then went to the fridge. Finding some cheese and slices of ham, she thought this would be perfect as sandwiches, not only for herself but also some tit bits for the foxes too.

 

Finding an old heavy casserole dish, Alice filled it with water and set it down. The cubs not only drank, but also managed to climb inside the dish and started splashing around and looking like they were having great fun. Fox catching sight of her cubs began yelping in its high pitched cry of, “where's my water?”

 

The commotion had Alice again feeling maternal, she remembered when the children were young and would wind each other up, chasing around the house, and her daughter's voice as she sung her heart out which always annoyed her son Tony.

 

Alice tried to entice the vixen in, but the creature wasn't having any of it remaining on the spot with her nose in the air, continuing to squeal like she was shrieking at the moon.

 

“Okay! I get it, you want your own bowl and food.” Alice quickly filled a cereal dish with water and placed it outside. The fox began lapping like there was no tomorrow. “You must have been very thirsty, no wonder you were making such a noise,” uttered Alice.

 

Fox licked her lips and watched this kind human preparing food. Alice made four rounds of sandwiches and set them on the breadboard. She cut a couple of rounds into tiny squares and placed them outside the backdoor on a plate, then went back and got the cubs. Picking them up she took them outside with their mum where they tucked into the food with relish.

 

Satisfied they were content, Alice found an old wicker basket and placed a towel inside locating it just outside the door, then took to mopping up the water off the kitchen floor, the fox cubs had made such a mess but it made Alice happy to see them splashing around and having fun.

 

To be continued...