Reynard The Fox

The enduring nature of stories

We have a couple of foxes that regularly visit our garden. One rather timid, the other incredibly bold and seemingly not at all bothered by mere humans.

This fox appears to have few concerns…

The presence of these foxes got me thinking. Because, as I discovered on Wikipedia, stories about Reynard The Fox and his deeds go right back to the 12th century, even if some of them are pretty gruesome! Indeed, Reynard was a popular character in European folklore, feted for his wit and cunning.

Keen to learn more, I discovered that books featuring his exploits are still available, and I was delighted to secure a second-hand copy of the beautifully illustrated work you see here.

Having read about our furry friend, I took the opportunity to imbue a character in ‘Husband, Wife, Strangers’, with some of Reynard's attributes.

The character likes to share the Reynard stories with his young daughter, despite the understandable reservations of her mother!

The pictures depict Reynard about to try and trick his old enemy, Tybalt The Cat. But I’m not going to tell you what happens!