Take two gray fox cubs that need a home and one family of tender-hearted animal lovers. Put them together, and you’ve got a charming menagerie that includes horses, dogs, a grumpy cat, turtles, two little boys, frogs, mice and birds.
A Fox in the Family, Jane King, Xlibris LLC, illustrated, 96 pages, $22.49 (hardcover), $14.40 (softcover), available at Amazon and Barnes and NobleA Fox in the Family is Jane King’s reminiscences about life with a smart, funny, wild animal with loads of personality. Jane and her husband Jim were known for rescuing and rehabbing animals on their farm in Indiana. So when a neighbor salvaging an old barn discovered a family of foxes under the dilapidated structure, he knew whom to call.
The Kings went home with two cubs, promptly named Frisky and Friendly by their young sons. Unfortunately, Friendly did not make it, succumbing to a mysterious malady, but Frisky went on to become a member of the family, accepted by everyone except the cat. Frisky and his best friend, the terrier, Bandit, managed to get into all kinds of trouble, including breaking their legs at the same time in a dust-up with the horses. Their favorite playtime activity was a rousing game of snatch-the-tennis-ball, and they spent hours playing before collapsing together on the sofa to nap.Their other favorite sleeping place was under the covers with the boys.
Like a puppy, Frisky loved to chew things—something he never seemed to outgrow. He once chewed the phone cord in two, and he often pulled the telephone off the receiver so he could hear the beep, beep, beep.
As Frisky grew older, the Kings made several attempts to set him loose in the woods near their farm, but the fox always came back. It’s fascinating how Frisky, though as tame as a housecat, would look for dens and show other foxlike behaviors while living in a house with humans. Later the Kings were surprised to learn that Frisky was a she and not a he.
But when the Kings decided to move to California, they knew they couldn’t take their pet fox. Trying to find a new home for Frisky…well, let’s just say an intelligent animal like a fox doesn’t belong in a cage, especially after having all the stimulation of being a pet. Frisky eventually went back to her own kind.
This is a delightful little book, a quick read that’s lavishly illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Jane King, a foxhunter who has her colors with three hunts. She has also included plenty of photographs of the foxes with her family. This book is perfect for that bedside table in the guest room—a heartwarming tale about a fox who gave a loving family much happiness.
Posted February 26, 2015
About the Author
A graduate of Purdue University, Jane King grew up in Indiana where the story takes place. She has foxhunted all over the United States and has won her colors with three hunts. Her career has included teaching art and math in elementary and high schools and college and creating animal portraits. She is best known for her ink sketches or remarques along the borders of her pastels to portray the personality of the subject. Her first love has always been fox hunting to watch the interaction of hounds and scent. She has hunted all over the United States and has won her colors with three hunts. Now, she is retired and lives in a small rural community in California where she is limited to rescuing the small critters that may come into her yard or are dropped off by neighbors.