The Fox and the Woodpecker

At the edge of the forest, beside a white birch, lived a fox and her two cubs. Their dry den was cosy: a fern grew by the entrance, and soft leaves lined the…

At the edge of the forest, beside a white birch, lived a fox and her two cubs. Their dry den was cosy: a fern grew by the entrance, and soft leaves lined the inside. A woodpecker they knew often perched on a high birch branch. He knew the forest well and always greeted his neighbours. The cubs liked listening to his quiet tapping and never disturbed him at work.

One day the woodpecker noticed heavy rain clouds gathering over the forest. He also saw a little crack in the ground that could carry water straight towards the foxes' den. He flew over to the mother fox and warned her, “There will be heavy rain soon. Take your cubs to the dry hollow in the old oak nearby. Then I'll show you a backup shelter on the hill.” The fox looked at the sky, thanked the woodpecker and settled her little ones in the roomy, low hollow, which they could easily climb into.

The woodpecker flew ahead, showing a safe path between the roots. The fox followed him alone; her cubs were waiting in the dry hollow. Where the path grew slippery, the woodpecker pointed out a way round over dry pine needles. Soon they reached a small, empty den on a rocky hill. It was above the stream and sheltered by thick branches. The fox remembered the way to this backup shelter and hurried back to her cubs.

Before the rain began, the fox returned to the old oak. The cubs were waiting quietly in the dry hollow just above the ground, and their mother stopped beside them at the entrance. When the downpour came, the whole family settled deep inside the roomy hollow. The fox covered her cubs with her tail, and they watched the raindrops shining on the leaves. The woodpecker waited out the rain in another hollow nearby. From time to time, he tapped on the tree so his neighbours would know he was close. Inside their shelter, everything was peaceful, warm and safe.

After the rain, the family climbed down from the hollow and returned with the woodpecker to their den by the white birch. The water had not damaged their home, but it had washed away a little soil by the entrance. The woodpecker found sturdy twigs, the fox laid them along a little channel, and the cubs brought dry leaves. Together the neighbours guided the rainwater away and made the home even more secure. That evening, sunshine lit up the forest. The fox treated the woodpecker to berries because he had warned them about the rain in time. From then on, they always helped one another look after their woodland home.