Vixen

1. Vixen found a hollow under a thick maple. She dug a hole in the ground and made herself a den. 
2. On a sunny summer day she had four kits. 
3. They were adorable: their ears were sharp, their little noses and lips were black, their little tails were brown, but the tips of their tails were white, their legs were little and their nails were thin. 
4. Vixen looked at them and she was delighted. 
5. So Vixen decided she would show her kits to all of the residents of the fields and forest.
6. She fed her kits, she had them drink milk, then she lay down herself and had them lie down beside her. 
7. Soon they fell asleep. 
8. The mother got up, licked all four of them on the middle of their heads with her thin tongue and left the den. 
9. The sunlight made Vixen squint.
10. She looked around and in the top of a tall spruce tree she saw a squirrel that was preparing mushrooms for the winter. 
11. Squirrel, hey Squirrel, come and see what furry kits I've had. 
12. Wait, I'll put the mushrooms on branches and then I'll come down out of the tree. 
13. So Vixen went on. 
14. She went through the forest, among the oaks. 
15. A lake appeared in front of her. 
16. She stopped at the edge of the lake and looked in. 
17. And there she can see a blue sky and snow-like clouds. 
18. A little fish swam up to her and asked – what are you looking for here, Vixen dear? 
19. I came for you. 
20. I'll be expecting you for visit tomorrow. 
21. I'd come, but I can't make it on foot. 
22. I'll send Crow for you then. He'll bring you – said Vixen and she set off at a run.
23. She came to a field. 
24. She looked, and on the edge of the road behind a rock was a mouse.
25. She was chewing on straw sharpening her teeth. 
26. Mouse saw Vixen, got scared and went into her nest under the rock. 
27. Why have you hidden, little mouse? 
28. If I hadn't hidden, you would have eaten me all up head-n-appendages, guts-n-liver, hair-n-blood.
29. Don't be frightened by me, little mouse. 
30. I won't eat you. 
31. Come for a visit tomorrow, you'll see my kits». 
32. I don't know when tomorrow will be. 
33. Well, night will fall, and it will get dark. 
34. You will fall asleep. 
35. Then you will get up and come to my place. 
36. I understand, I'll come. 
37. Vixen ran on. 
38. She looked and there on the side of the road was some kind of bundle. 
39. She touched the bundle with her paw, and her toes got cut to the quick. 
40. At this point the bundle straightened out, and Vixen saw feet, a belly and a long nose.
41. Vixen got frightened and jumped back. 
42. She sits there breathing heavily, she was taken aback. 
43. Then in a thin voice she said – “Why do you frighten me like that and make holes in me?” 
44. “I didn't frighten anyone,” said Hedgehog, “I was sleeping and just woke up. 
45. But my needles are sharp”.
46. It was sundown.
47. It began to grow dark quickly. 
48. Stars appeared in the sky and a light moon came out. 
49. “My I've been going for a long time”, – said Vixen, and then taking a new path that was shorter, hurried off home. 
50. There were birches, lindens, aspens and rowans growing along the side of the road.
51. She found five rowan berries under the trees. 
52. She put one of them in her mouth, bit it, but she couldn't swallow it; the rowan berry so sour. 
53. She threw the rest of them on the ground.
54. She stepped on a bone. 
55. Vixen took it, bit it firmly in her teeth and carried it to her den. 
56. Next to her home, she stopped and began to listen: there her kits were squeaking, four thin voices, like bees. 
57. The next day, lots of guests gathered around Vixen's home. 
58. Everyone had brought her presents. 
59. Bear had brought her a barrel full of honey. 
60. Frog and Hedgehog had brought her pancakes. 
61. First they named the kits: One, Two, Three and Four. Then everyone began to butter the pancakes and eat them with honey and praise the kits.