Lives of the Fur Folk

In this charming naturalist’s chronicle, the everyday lives of foxes, badgers, cats and other countryside creatures are portrayed as if they were members of a secret society. Drawing on field notes, hunters’ anecdotes and the author’s own observations, each tale weaves factual detail with a touch of imagination, suggesting that some animals act beyond pure instinct. The result is a gentle meditation on the thin line between animal behavior and the human qualities we project onto them.

The opening story follows Vix, a resourceful fox who finds a hidden drain to raise her newborn cubs while the surrounding bog swells with spring rains. As storm clouds gather, Vix hears the eerie “rail”—a nocturnal sound the fur folk call the warning of an approaching gale. Through vivid description of the flooded reservoir, the rustling reeds, and the fox’s quiet vigilance, readers glimpse a world where nature’s rhythms feel almost mythic.