The infant was talking with the chirruping cricket, who listened between every chirp. "I knows mama come. She said she come. She has food. Food for me." The cricket's chirp ceased. Something was wrong. By now the mother fox would have been back, and he would have to leave. The cricket starred at the innocent fox. It's bug mind simple, but very observant. It studied and sized up the situation. The bigger fox was not yet back, and this little one ranted ceaslessly. Perhaps she got lost. The cricket and the fox still sat in the den, both was oblivious to the outside events.
A mousemaid, dressed in a purple dress with white flowers, was running from a nearby tree. The tree housed a owl, who loved to hunt mice, and gave her a running chance just for sport. The night had a half moon lingering in mid sky. Its paleness shined greatly on the grass. The owl waited a few more seconds. The mousemaid gave a look back and ran up a hill, towards bushes. The bushes was dead from the winter. The cold air, freezing her lungs as she faught to kept running. As she crossed the bushes and headed down hill, she fell into a hole.
The owl saw that she crossed over the hill and decided he gave her enough time. He flew high and looked around. He gave the mousemaid a good start, promising her that if she managed to reach the tree line, he would give up trying to eat her. As his vision come over the hill to the wide open area, he found the maid had disappeared. Where did she go? He looked at the bushes and saw right threw them. The ground was white, and no trace was from the mousemaid. He looked at her tracks, and they ended at the bushes. He flew closer and saw a hole. A fox's den most likely. He screeched angerily and flew off in miserable defeat.
The maid tumbled head over paws into the den room. The cricket was startled and jumped high and landed on Stumble's ear. The fox flicked his ear, sending the cricket flying, and gave a yapping noise of despair, unsure of what to do. He backed up yapping loudly, while the cricket angerily jumped to the corner. The mousemaid sat up and rubbed her head and then yelled over the yapping, "I wont hurt you!" Instantly the infant fox stopped.
"Moma kill you when she come. She come back." The fox said. The mouse maid looked at the kit fox, her vision returning to normal. "I am sorry to barge in, I was running for my life. Dont worry though, the danger will pass." As she spoke, the fox starred at her. His vocabulary was very limited. He didnt understand. She played with her dress and then asked, "What's your name?" The fox smiled knowingly and said proudly, "Sumble." The maid giggled at his attempt to say 'Stumble'. She curtsied and said, "My name is Marie. Where's your mother? Shouldnt she be back?" Stumble grinned and said, "Momma get food. Fox hun ova. She come back wif food." Marie's heart suddenly sank. "Is your mother at the market?" She asked, hoping he didnt know. But his nodding confirmed it. "She ah Markeh."
The fox went back to resting. Marie's eyes no longer saw just a infant fox. He was homeless and was going to starve. She thought about fate and destiny, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not help but think fate threw her a chance to save this poor creature. His fate should not be born to suffer a young cruel death cause of the hunt, his should be to live a long fox's life, at least long enough to learn to survive. She tightened her paws into fists.
Red Squirrel was the one who hunted the foxes, and lead the parties. She had nothing to do with it. Because of him, many more will suffer, and he did not care. It mattered not how many died, he wanted revenge. The anger subsided. She felt obligated to inform the fox of the cruelity that happened to his mother. She breathed in and closed her eyes. Not sure how to go about it. "I have news about your mother..." She said reluctantly. The infant fox understood a few words, news and mother. He sat up and waited. She breathed in and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Not a word, she just couldnt do it. She turned away. All she could think about was the pain of losing someone dear. She felt it before, and didnt want him to feel the same... Not yet.
"Where moma?" He asked curiously. She turned and said smiling, hiding her true emotions. "Your mom is going away for a long time. I am affraid she wont be coming back tonight. So when I heard this, I came here to take you home with me. I will look after you until your mom comes back." The fox blinked at her and then said, "Moma... gone? No come wif food?" Tears built up in his eyes. It was the tears of a infant wanting his mother. She ran over and conforted him, trying to keep a soothing voice. "Its alright, I have food. You come with me and I will feed you until you have a full belly." Stumble wanted to wail out, but he instead nodded. "I go wif you. Take me food. I wai fuh moma wif you." She smiled and grabbed his paw. "You'll be happy dont worry."
All the while, the cricket obsearved what had taken place. This mysterious visitor was showing affection toward the fox in a motherly manner. Who was this creature? And wait, was she taking him outside? She was! She is stealing the fox infant! He jumped after them, following them closely.
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The cricket followed them as they treked all night and arrived at Marie's house. It was a hollow dead tree, but the inside and outside was patched, and detailed to resist storms and insulate heat. Marie led the sleepy Stumble inside. She then led him to a empty bed and said, "This is where you will sleep." In a trice, he layed down and fell asleep. Marie smiled as he curled. She had led him upstairs to the guest room, where it was the warmest. She walked downstairs and entered her room to change into a new dress. A dark blue dress.
Now she hurried to cook. Stumble would be awake probably in two hours. He would be hungry then. She made a simple meal. Oat scones with some berry toppings, and mushroom soup. The drinks, she chose water that was saturated with cherries to give it a slight flavor. She was thinking about the thought of raising Stumble. "Stumble..." She said to herself as she prepared the food. "That name roles to much. Plus he did'nt stumble once. No he needs a new name. But what?" When she got done, preparing the food, she headed back upstairs, detering from the main hall into the bathing room. She took some water and poured it into a tub. Stumble needed to be cleaned up. He may have shimmering fur, but it needs washing.
She paused, she once again said, "Stumble... It just wont do, I mean I cant call anyone Stumble." She shook her head and walked back down stairs and headed for the cloths room. But she had nothing to fit the fox infant. She thought for minutes. She would have to make the fox new clothing. She looked around her room and found her meterial. She decided he would look cute in a small tunic. She laid the meterial out and over looked it. The color would be red, with tiny fox-prints over the ouside. They would be... Hmm... She thought for a minute again. Then saw yellow. It was a thought, but red and yellow. Maybe? No. She rethought the entire thing. Perhaps a normal red shirt with brown pants. She nodded at the simple arrangment. And chose the meterial, knowing she would just change her mind once again. She laid them on a table for later, sewing took weeks, and sometimes a season. So she planned for the spring.
Stumble had awakened. No sooner then he opened his eyes, then Marie peeked in and told him it was time for breakfast. He blinked curiously at her, forgetting that he was not in the den anymore. "Whuh brekfis?" She smiled and said, "Food." He shook his head, now seeing his surroundings and reminded of his mother's absence. She led him down stairs to the kitchen. The meal was prepared for him. They both sat down, he didnt hesitate to take paw fulls. Ignoring the plate in front of him.
"No! Put those on the plate!" He starred at her while chewing. She got up took the scones from him and put them on the plate. "Eat one at a time." He looked down at them. Not entirely sure of what she meant. But played along with this crazy game. One by one they disappeared. He was eating as if he suffered a famine... Wait, he was. She smiled at his pleasure. She scooted her chair closer to his and put the soup in front of him. He lower his head, going to lap it up. She quickly stopped him. And put a spoon in the bowl, while bringer herself one too.
"Do as I do." She picked up the spoon and dipped it in the soup and lifted to bring it to her mouth. Stumble tilted his head, not sure as to why. But he mimiked her, finding it entertaining to have a new method of eating. She watched him lower his head towards the bowl but still use the spoon to eat, his grasp was heavy, holding the spoon firmly in a tight grip. She allowed this. She smiled, it would be difficult training... No teaching this fox the way of mice, the way she was taught.
Once they had finished eating, Stumble was led upstairs once again. This time he saw water in a tub. "Get in, go in." She said encouragingly. He was hesitant, but obeyed and sat in the tub of warm water. Once fully in, he looked up at her. "Why?" He asked the simple word of question. She smiled and said, "This is how you get washed." He looked at the water strangely. "No wuss. I show wuss." He reached up and grabbed her, pulling her into the tub. Marie gave a squeak as she splashed in the tub with the young fox. Then he began licking the back of her neck, in a grooming way. On the third lick, she came out of the stun and turned putting her hands on his snout, stopping him from grooming her. "I wuss!" He said grinning. She shook her head. "No Stumble, I wash." She grabbed soap, but the infant quickly grew bored. "I eat food." He said while leaping out of the tub, and flew down the stairs for more scones before Marie could do anything to stop him. She sighed and hung her head, soap in paws. She looked down at her wet blue dress. Her dress was clean, but she had not taken a bath before getting in it. She shrugged and decided the bath shouldnt go to waste.
With her soaking dress flung across the room, the wet mouse maid thought about Stumble, as she washed herself. How to teach him what bathing was. But it led to her thinking a new name for Stumble. He reminded her of a young mouse who almost got a different name. A name she really liked. It hit her. She had the perfect name for this cute infant fox.
She came down stairs and headed for her cloths room and put on a new dress. This one was a lighter blue with a yellow mouse face at the top left shoulder. She walked into the kitchen to see Stumble laying on the rug by the pantry, his eyes tightly closed as the morning sun shone on his face through the window. The scones was gone, and the mushroom soup was all over the table. She shook her heard despairingly. "Stumble, I want to talk to you." His eyes snapped open and he got up and looked at her smiling. "I dalk good."
She had him sit down with his back to the pantry and sat next to him. "What do you think of the name Milo?" The fox blinked trying to understand. "Who Milo?" He pronounced it perfectly. She smiled. "Your name is Milo." He laughed a bit and said, "I names Sumble, no Milo." She smiled and said, "I will call you Milo, not Stumble. Your name, til you leave here, is Milo." He sorta understood. He repeated in his words. "I name Milo. I go, I name Sumble?" She nodded smiling at the infant's attempt to understand.
Stumble smiled and laughed. "I like Milo name. You name Flowa. You go, you name Mair." She shook her head and giggled. "Alright, my name is Flower until I leave." They both shared giggles at this new, and confusing relationship. All the while, the cricket was watching, noting that this creature would take care of the fox, and this tree would have to serve as its new refuge.
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- Old Stella smiled as Timmy and some others laughed. They enjoyed the little story. "Is it true?" Timmy asked. Stella nodded and she looked up and said, "But its far from over little one..."