A Fox in the Family

By Jane King

Rescued from an old barn that is being demolished, two gray fox cubs are captured and raised in a family with terriers, and a cat. As the cubs mature, the family experiences many heartwarming and hair-raising moments that are illustrated in pen and ink.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499037661

Jane King

Jane King was born in Taihape N.Z. 1957. Her family moved to the south Island when she was 2 and a half years old and she has a brother who is presently shearing in Western Australia. She has travelled and worked in Australia for several years and is currently studying the Diploma of Art and Creativity with The Learning Connection in Wellington. During her first course of studying The Certificate of Art and Creativity, she wrote a story in connection with her art assignments and was encouraged by friends and family members to have her story published. Jane is currently living with her mother in Te Kuiti, a small town approximately an hour’s drive from Hamilton New Zealand and is the proud mother of two children Peter and Bonnie. She has gained fresh inspiration for story writing from the arrival of her first grandchild Layla Jane Montgomery King.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Jane King.

Library of Congress Control Number: pending

ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4990-3767-8

Softcover 978-1-4990-3768-5

eBook 978-1-4990-3766-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 06/13/2014

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

553027

To my sons Chris and Carter

who share a love of animals.

Untitled-3.jpg

A Fox In The Family

Thick woods surrounded our Indiana home, and the woodland creatures often found their way into our house. Our home was a sanctuary, convalescent hospital and sadly, sometimes, a burial ground for the local wildlife.

Neighbors, friends, and would-be friends knew where to take orphaned birds and stray cats. The tally of the animals in our household fluctuated with the seasons. Besides several horses, dogs, and cats, we often had quail, Chukar, turtles, frogs, mice, and various small birds residing with us.

My husband, Jim, and I had moved to the country after our first son was born, and by the time our second son arrived, we knew where to find the great horned owl resting during the day, the crows’ favorite caucus tree, the bee tree, shortcuts through the woods to neighboring farms, the swampy areas with the most vicious and enormous mosquitos, the old pasture with the smelliest mud from forgotten pig wallows, and lovely pink lady slippers just off the beaten path.

By the time our boys, Carter and Chris, were two and four, a pony was added to the list of equine pets, and a bush hog mower was added to our machinery collection to keep the weeds and grass from becoming a jungle. Our carpets had seen two litters of Jack Russell terrier puppies on their way, and our fences needed straightening and painting again. Two newspaper articles had featured our family as the only people in town who fox-hunted on horseback and raised scrappy and unusual terriers that would go underground after all sorts of critters.

Shortly after arriving at work one morning in May, Jim received a phone call from the local lumber dealer, Mr. Barnes. He wanted help in removing a litter of foxes from an old barn that was being torn down. Salvaging part of the dilapidated structure before the bulldozer leveled the site, his workmen had discovered some small creatures scooting and dashing around the debris. The mother had apparently met with some disaster, or perhaps she had been frightened away by the construction. Hunger had driven the babies out of the den. They whimpered, searched for scraps of food, and finally were seen by the workmen. Thinking the place was rat infested, they called an exterminator. The exterminator knew the creatures weren’t rats but perhaps coons or foxes. He had left with no suggestion as to what to do.

Untitled-5.jpg

Remembering the newspaper articles, Mr. Barnes knew we had a special type of terrier that would go down any hole to hunt and rout out foxes, badgers, or anything else. Jim guessed the mystery animals were coons but was delighted with the opportunity to try out Maggie, our Jack Russell terrier. She had been imported from a hunting kennel in Ireland but had never actually been down a burrow, although she was a tough keen hunter of rats, opossum, and neighborhood cats. He made plans to go out to the barn that evening after work to try cornering those varmints!

We left Chris and Carter at home that evening with a sitter. Jim threw a shovel in the back of the pickup, I tucked Maggie

Reviews for A Fox in the Family

[daniellemd-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was supposed to read this book in 6th grade, but it was so boring to 11-year-old me that I gave up after only a few pages. At 29, I'm wondering why! It's actually a pretty fascinating read. It's also a rather short book at only about 80 pages.
The story is about a poor family man who finds a valuable pearl to help pay for his baby's medical treatment (by a despicable doctor who refers to his people as "animals") only to be corrupted by his potential wealth. He ends up hitting and kicking his wife, and even killing a man for it.
The book has a truly tragic ending.

[rosenstern · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The allegorical novella about a pearl diver who is bestowed with an invaluable pearl. Little does he know, this pearl causes his world to come crashing down. But the real question is, is the pearl evil or is it merely a pearl and the value that he assigned it, evil- thereby making him evil? Read the book.

[lisa.johnson.james · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This short story, which reads like a fable, is the story of Kino, a poor pearl diver, & the horrific events put in motion when he finds what the villagers call The Pearl of the World. It's for the reader to decide for himself or herself whether the pearl itself is inherently evil or cursed, & brings the unfortunate events down on Kino & his family, or if it is just men who are evil that would steal this from him. Either way, the story ends badly for Kino, & strangely.....

[hockeygalscores · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is uninteresting, unexciting, has an overlly used moral, and is overall not very good. The moral being that money can't buy happiness. It is a very repettive book, that does not provoke the interest of its readers. Most certainly not a rcommended read.

[jbreedlove_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Steinbeck's telling of a Mexican tale about being wary of getting what you want.

[countrylife_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Steinbeck classic, apparently based on a Mexican folktale, is a short, but powerful story of an impoverished village and the greedy who keep them so. Though few in pages, the characterization and sense of place are very strong.

[cebellol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully written story of how wealth and greed changes people, not just the one coming into the fortune and how tragedy changes perspectives.

[kim0rau · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Kino, and Juana live in a tiny village off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. They decide to go out pearl diving after their baby Coyotito is stung by a scorpion. Miraculously, they find a pearl, that they then try to sell to cheap dealers. Now Kino must make a decision because the longer they hold onto the pearl, the more evil lurks around them. This book was very descriptive and well writen. However, it didn't entertain me much, since I'm not too interested in morals or adulthood.

[k8soccer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a rendition of an old mexican folk tale that teaches you that greed is bad and you should be happy with what you have. In the story a diver, named Kino, goes diving and finds a great pearl. His fairy tale story ends when people try to get the pearl and chase him out of his city and into the mountains. The ending will suprise you. I personally didn't really like this book. The beginning was kind of boring and the end kind of sad. I got lost in the large vocabulary used in the book sometimes. It wasn't all bad- the descriptions were good and the middle of the book was pretty exciting, but it definitally wasn't my favorite.

[joeydag · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

high school or junior high required reading. It was good

[rampaginglibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I must admit i really like this spare, little parable. Some of the stuff they made us read in school was worthwhile--actually i liked a lot of it.

[englishgeek13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am a huge fan of John Steinbeck and will only continue to enjoy his simple, realistic approach to telling a story after reading this fable. Kino is a fisherman in Mexico and has a wife and infant son. Their lives are uncomplicated and set to a song in their souls: Song of Family. One day Kino makes an extraordinary discovery in the form of a magnificent pearl, and the Song of Family is joined by the Song of Evil as Kino faces those who would exploit or threaten him, his family, and the pearl.This is a quick read, and in Stenbeck fashion does not offer any easy answers. The reader is faced with his own moral dilemmas with Kino as both must decide what is right while seeking justice among friends who become enemies. A good read.

[anotterchaos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read in one labor-sitting. Classic Steinbeck, with rich descriptions and thoughtful characterizations. Sad, but inevitable, ending. I don't understand how it's listed as "Fiction Sex Customs" or "Erotic Literature" unless I'm completely missing a whole lot of symbolism (which I'm willing to concede is possible).

[elliepotten · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been a while since I read this, and honestly I think it will be quite forgettable in the long run - but I obviously really enjoyed it at the time, hence the four-star rating! A kind of fable about greed, materialism and envy built around the discovery of a great pearl by a poor Mexican freediver, it's short, folksy, lyrical and poignant, and I very much enjoyed the musicality and dreamlike feeling of the reading experience. Not necessarily one I'd rush to read again, but quite beautiful!

[befuddledpanda · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3 stars I admit, I'm not the biggest Steinbeck fan. It's probably because he's too depressing. I, however, do appreciate how much he was able to pack in such a short story. Poverty, social oppression, what it means to be a man, the meaning of family and community, greed, what makes a good woman...I didn't hate the book. I just didn't love it. But I really appreciated the imagery of song - that was pretty cool. In short, I didn't love this book because I was so frustrated by the situations and limitations but did not have anything good to hold on to. I didn't really like the characters - the closest was Juana, the wife. But her character seemed inconsistent - one moment strong, one moment meek without believable reason.

[beequiet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To say that this is a book about the corrupting influence of wealth would be to do it a disservice. Among the works one could happen across in your local book shop, such tales are two a penny. What this novella delivers in abundance is a love of the human, a love of family, a love of those things we see as being the most fundamentally good in our nature. When Steinbeck describes the effect of the sun, I feel warm. When he describes the food, so simple in its own way, I feel a longing to enter the scene and break bread with the man, his wife and young child. When they receive fortune, my heart lights up for them, and as the tragedy of the story unfolded I felt the heaviness of it myself.

[kakadoo202 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It felt like fairy tale with a moral ending.

[hermit_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A folktale of lower California is the basis for this narrative about Kino, a simple pearl fisherman, who finds an enormous pearl that promises to provide for all his family's needs. But Kino soon learns that this find brings nothing but misfortune. This misfortune prompts Kino to throw the large pearl back into the sea and resume his difficult way of life. As many learn, those who are greedy are never happy.

[ashryan_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

John Steinbeck wrote several bad books (The Red Pony, Tortilla Flat, The Grapes of Wrath...), but this one just might be his worst. His message to the poor and ignorant: "Be glad you're not rich and smart---money and knowledge are the root of all evil and only lead to misery, so take comfort in your community of poverty and ignorance!" Leave it to a successful, well-educated "humanist" to write an absurd, contemptible little parable glorifying these things. It isn't even well-written (even for Steinbeck), and the story is truly ludicrous.At least Steinbeck wrote some good books too, books like Of Mice and Men, The Winter of Our Discontent, and East of Eden...pick up one of them instead.

[omgully · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great story that was based on a Mexican tale, I believe. Another fine example of the human condition and how pride and fortune can destroy us if we're not careful.

[boundtogetherforgood · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Written in 1947, this classic tells the tale of a peasant Mexican fisherman and his wife and first-born. Tragedy strikes and then the find of a life-time. This intriguing story shows the horror of greed as well as the purity of love and devotion. I find myself trying to make moments to read from it. It is short, only 90 pages. I am 40 pages into it and can't wait to finish it though I know I will wish it weren't over.

[becky221_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written -- I love the description of the "background" music playing throughout Kino's experiences. Kino recognizes that the pearl will lead to his son's being educated and that will be his ticket out of poverty. Alas -- this is not to be! Another sad Steinbeck! I hesitate to state, but the conclusion seems to be that if you try to rise above your station in life, your values will change and you are destined for failure. I read this for the first time many years ago so the ending was not a surprise, but it was still very sad.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a very short work, more accurately labeled a short story than a novella, easy readable in 1-2 hours. Its theme is as old as the hills, “be careful what you wish for, lest you receive it.”Kino and his wife Juana live a hardscrabble existence with their newborn son in a straw hut on the beach, where Kino scratches out a meager existence as a pearl diver. Kino’s discovery of “the pearl of a lifetime” changes his life over night. Kino imagines all of the positive things the pearl will make possible, while his wife soon recognizes it as a source of evil which soon gives rise to a string of disasters which they struggle in vain to overcome.Again, there is nothing original in what is essentially a parable of untold age. It has been compared in style, setting and theme to Hemingway’s Old Man and The Sea, but in my opinion, it suffers by comparison.

[trilliams · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm going to tell people this is why I don't play the lottery. It's not true, but neither are most things I say, so it'll work.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“It is not good to want a thing too much. It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just enough, and you must be very tactful with Gods or the gods.”This is a sad and powerful “parable" about the dangers of sudden wealth that befalls a poor family in a fishing village. Or pearl fishers as they also are.While one of the children in the family are very sick after a scorpion bite the miracle happens. The husband catches the biggest pearl ever to be seen. But the sudden joy of the catch quickly turn into a nightmare as their situation is exploited by everyone around them. From the slimy doctor, to the money-hungering priest, the greedy pearl-business men in town, and the envious eyes of the villagers. From the moment the pearl is in the fathers hand everything is just one big descend. Mistrust, envy, fear, loneliness and loss of freedom. It is a painful read - it is also a very true depiction of the destructive power of mammon.

[danielmh_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Pearl is about a poor Indian fisherman Kino, who lives together with his wife Juana and his son Coyotito. Their home is near to the city La Paz, California. One day, Coyotito got stung by a poiseness scorpion. The day after he finds that his doctor didn't want to help him, Kino found the most valueable pearl, the pearl of the world. He thinks that all the trouble will be gone for now on and at first, it looks like he's right. Then he finds out that the pearl isn't worth much and gets angry. The following days he loses all his property and even his son by defending his pearl from thieves. In the end, he finally throws the pearl back in the ocean.I enjoyed this story a lot, because it's a short book that gets to the point. The story shows a parallel to richness: The more money you get, the worse people want to rob you. Your most valuable properties, your home and your family, will be taken away from you and you won't be able to live a life without fear anymore.

[yabookfest · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Pearl may be a small book, but it is rich in language and life’s lessons. In Steinbeck’s beautifully descriptive opening, we meet Kino and Juana, a poor Mexican couple who live close to the sea and close to the land. Two events shake their world. Their baby Coyotito is stung by a scorpion and they venture into the city to find help. Then, to pay for a doctor, Kino goes diving and emerges with a pearl “perfect as the moon.” Kino is torn from his simple, peaceful life and enters a world of deception, greed and grief. They story is based on a Mexican folk tale and has the style of a myth or parable. The Pearl is often studied in 8th or 9th grade and provides an excellent introduction to classic American literature and literary techniques.

[ccookie_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First line:~ Kino awakened in the near dark ~Once again, what can I say about John Steinbeck. Brilliant writer. How could I not have read more of his works up till now? Thank God for Library Thing and the push that Challenges give me. I would not have looked at these books without the Steinbeckathon! This is a novella, a parable and, to me, reads like a children's fairy tale. And, like many of the tales of the Brothers Grimm, has the requisite good and evil where good triumphs over evil. Or perhaps not triumphs but evil is thwarted. There is recognition that man is basically and intrinsically evil and the evil in not stopped until after much tragedy has occurred. We see that avarice and greed are powerful destructive forces.I enjoy the lyrical prose that is so like poetry. (4.5 stars) Onward to East of Eden.

[psiloiordinary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow a very short but very sobering read. A brief window on to Hell on earth.Pearl fisherman in abject poverty finds the pearl of the world. Jealousy, greed and horror ensue.Very simply written with very simple but non the less real characters - worth a couple of hours of anybodys time.

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Remember that old Homer Simpson bit about beating jury duty by telling them he was prejudiced against all races? I think this book manages to exoticize all races. I wonder if Steinbeck wrote it to beat jury duty.