RUPERT THE FOX

While we were at the cabin this past weekend we had an unlikely visitor. A wily fox came trotting down our driveway. He came within ten feet of our front door and plunked himself down. He hardly flinched as Tom took him out some pieces of left over steak from our dinner. He ate them up and waited for more. So, Tom then took him out some chicken. We watched in fascination as he buried that in the nearby woods. He held his post near our front door for a couple hours, not at all skittish, as we came and went. As darkness fell, he fell asleep there in his 'spot'.

He brought to mind the passage about the fox from one of my favorite books, 'The Little Prince':

"It was then that the fox appeared.

"Good morning," said the fox.

"Good morning," the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.

"I am right here," the voice said, "under the apple tree."

"Who are you?" asked the little prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at."

"I am a fox," the fox said.

"Come and play with me," proposed the little prince. "I am so unhappy."

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

"Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince.

But, after some thought, he added:

"What does that mean--'tame'?"

"You do not live here," said the fox. "What is it that you are looking for?"

"I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does that mean--'tame'?"

"Men," said the fox. "They have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?"

"No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What does that mean--'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties."

"'To establish ties'?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

Molly named our 'tamed' fox Rupert.  We will be waiting for him on our next trip to the cabin.