Sleeping Fox


It was so quiet here. So quiet that everything that you usually overhear now was clearly perceptible. The roar of a car that drove by every now and then. The low and steady hum of the refrigerator that echoed from the kitchen. And the steady, quiet breathing of the sleeping boy, whose head was on my lap.
How long I've been looking at this peaceful face, I couldn't say. Was it just a few minutes or was it already hours? The time seemed so insignificant as I watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. It was such a mesmerizing effect on me and I just couldn't take my eyes off it.
Very carefully I brushed one of the silver strands of hair from his face, which drew a faint movement from him. He grimaced a little. But then pressed even more to me.
A gentle smile lay on my lips. It was hard to believe I was sitting here with this little boy on my lap. That he slept so peacefully and carefree, full of trust in me. In general, that there was such a being like him would have been inconceivable for me if I hadn't had him here in front of me.
I raised my hand again. Run your finger as gently as you can on this child's auricle. Felt the soft fluff under my fingertip. Then the ear twitched away. Slightly startled, I withdrew my hand and worriedly examined every little movement. In the fear of having woken him up now. But his sleep remained calm, which made me exhale with relief.
I lowered my hand again and caressed his head lovingly. Careful not to get to the sensitive ears again. I didn't want to wake him up. Didn't want to destroy this quiet moment. When was the little one able to sleep so securely? In the lap of someone who would take care of him and not hurt him? When was he allowed to experience such love?
There he was. Curled up and snuggled close to me. I wouldn't have thought it possible. A fox child. Not an animal, but not a human being either. A creature that could arise directly from all sorts of fables and myths. A little demon and yet such a delicate and fragile thing. A silver fox, my grandmother would correct me. Powerful descendants of the fox spirits. Almost forgotten by people. And who still thinks they know something about them, only regards them with aversion. Demons would be dangerous and malicious.
But he was just a child here. Probably only four years old. And he's no different from any of the other kids. Except for the animal ears and tail. No, it was simply a small child who was slowly beginning to grasp the world. Shy and curious at the same time. When I thought of the big eyes that looked at everything with astonishment and also with a slight shyness.I just couldn't imagine being afraid of him. That he would harm someone. This little fox was much more afraid of us humans. And I couldn't even blame him for that.
It had also taken me a long time to gain his trust. I looked back with a slight smile. How I found him exhausted and scared out in the rainy streets. How he hid under my bed in the beginning. His eyes full of shyness and each time he tried to get closer he had crouched even closer. How more and more curiosity won and the uncertainty pushed back bit by bit. How slowly but surely he began to learn the things around him.
I had to laugh softly and quickly put my hand over my mouth as I thought of his first attempts to drink from a glass. It was just too cute and fun. He had to learn everything from scratch. Even speaking and understanding. And the more time passed, the more affectionate he became. And now he was here with me. It was a really nice feeling that warmed my heart. I would never want to chase him away. Let alone bring it back to where it actually came from. It would tear my soul apart.
With a lot of effort we were able to find out what this Knirbs had already experienced. Terrible things that you didn't even want to imagine in detail. What people fear, they hunt and kill. Or lock it up and do things with it to 'tame' it. And judging by the panic the little fox got over some things, it must have been really cruel.
My hand continued to slide over the boy's silver-white hair. He should never experience anything like this again. Not a test subject for any research. No living in constant fear. It was just a child. And that's how it should be treated. He should just have a happy life.
The boy moved slightly on my lap. He curled up a little more and quiet words came over his lips in his sleep: "... Hime-San ..." Again it elicited a loving smile. I carefully leaned down a little, my hand still resting on his head. "I'm here ..." I whispered very softly to him. "I'm here and I won't leave you alone."
No way!