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CHAPTER TWO – FACING REALITY
The serial story “Fly-In Fox Tales” continues each Monday
in the Accent section. It’s written by local author Marian
Strong Tomblin and illustrated by local artist Tom Bull.
The vixen returned with a large duck in her mouth. She
yipped softly to waken her girls, and then stood watch
while her family ate.
The story so far: Wildfires force a family of humans and
a family of foxes from their homes in Central Florida.
Breakfast for the Rodriguez family was a somber meal
after the morning’s headlines confirmed what everyone had
feared: the fires were burning out of control. They were
now homeless and dependent upon Carmen Lopez for their
needs. Rico’s aunt tried to smile at her sister and relatives
seated across from her at the kitchen table. She tried to
ignore the clutter strewn about her expertly decorated
living room and the rusted pickup
truck parked outside on her freshly
painted driveway. But she had
lived alone for so many years that
this upheaval was difficult for her
to adjust to. Very difficult.
Rico squirmed in his chair. He
wasn’t used to eating poached
eggs with spinach and some sort
of yellow sauce dribbled all over
them for breakfast. His little sister
wasn’t faring any better. Señor
Rodriguez ignored his meal and
instead had wrapped both hands
around his coffee mug. In a soft
voice he described their escape
from the wildfires the night before.
“We wouldn’t be here,” Rico’s dad
concluded, “if Rico hadn’t
awakened us in time.”
Señora Lopez turned her gaze to
her nephew. Again she tried to
smile. “I know that must have
been terrifying for you.”
Rico gave his aunt the briefest
nod. “May I be excused?” He
pushed himself away from the
table before anyone could protest.
Señora Lopez looked from the boy to the kitchen clock.
How long do wildfires burn?, she wondered.
Rico was asking himself the same thing.
Kit’s mother was waiting for them at the streambed.
“Watch me,” she yipped. “Do exactly what I do.” She
took a last look at the firestorm, and then stepped into the
creek. Her head and body vanished under water. A moment
later, her muzzle broke the
surface. With a snort she cleared
her nostrils and began to paddle.
Kit nudged his sisters
forward. Obediently they waded
in and started paddling. Kit
went in last. To his surprise, the
water felt good as it washed the
ashes off his coat.
They stepped onto the
opposite shore and shook
themselves dry. A fire roared at
the foxes, but that was all it
could do. Even a blaze its size
couldn’t cross the wide stream.
Kit fell exhausted to the ground.
The grass beneath him was
smooth and cool – not soft and
warm like the pine needles in
his den. He didn’t like it. But he
was too tired for it to matter.
Rico was surprised by how
good his bath had felt. But the
innerspring mattress in his
aunt’s guest room was smooth
and cool – not soft and warm
like his foam rubber cot. Rico
didn’t like it. But he was too tired for it to matter.
*****
It was a new day. Kit stretched and looked around.
Though his coat had dried, he was chilled. He wondered
how his sisters and mother had slept. There were the four
girls, snuggled all together, but their mother was gone. Kit
wasn’t worried: when they lived together in their den, their
mother usually hunted at night, and then returned around
sunrise with breakfast. With her offspring getting older,
occasionally she’d allow them to accompany her. Not
today.
The littlest fox whimpered. Her whiskers twitched and
she began paddling in her sleep. Kit walked over to nuzzle
her. He had dreamed about swimming, too.
Next Week: New Homes
Author Marian Strong Tomblin has also written The
Mystery at Hotel Ormond, Where’s Capone’s Cash? and
Manatee Moon, all selected for community-wide literacy
campaigns. Award-winning illustrator Tom Bull currently
teaches art at Mainland High School; his artwork is
exhibited by Very Special Arts Volusia. “Fly-In Fox Tales”
is presented by The News-Journal’s Newspapers in
Education program.
Newspaper activities – things to think about and do
1. In the border, around the drawing at the top of this serial story page, are some words suggesting topics that the story
will cover. Over the course of the next few weeks, clip articles/photos from the newspaper that are about those topics.
Arrange them into a montage, display, bulletin board or scrapbook. Then discuss with family, friends or classmates
what they have in common with the characters or situations in the story and with your own life.
2. Both Kit and Rico found themselves in unfamiliar situations due to the wildfires – one of the forces of nature. Write
a poem or story or draw a picture about a time when a force of nature affected your life. Express how you felt as well
as what happened. Share it with friends or family.
For more information and fun activities,
go to www.nieworld.com