A special friend

The old man Bo lived in a house in the woods not far from the small village of Suller. The house was small but comfortable and had everything that was needed. It had been the old Bo who had built it many years ago when he was engaged to Maggie, the girl with blackish-dark hair who would later become his wife.

A few days ago, he had received a call from his daughter, asking him to take care of little Sam. Bo was thrilled by the news and accepted without hesitation. He had always had a soft spot for children and couldn't wait to reunite with Sam.

On the day of his grandson's arrival, Bo eagerly waited by the window, nervously pacing back and forth in the room and watching the clock hanging on the wall. When he finally saw a car approaching, he rushed to open the door and greeted Sam with open arms.

Sam ran to hug his grandfather, and seeing that scene reassured his parents. They had talked at length about how it would be best to leave Sam with his grandfather while they were away on a business trip. Sam hugged his grandfather tightly, but then he turned towards his parents, becoming sad. Understanding the delicate situation, the grandfather leaned down and spoke to Sam, "My little one, I understand that you're sad, but you'll see that we'll have fun together." "Thank you, Grandpa!"

They all had lunch together. The grandfather had prepared his daughter's favorite dish, a beef stew with potatoes, and a cake filled with cream and forest fruits. They spent the afternoon in serenity, talking about this and that. After giving all the necessary instructions, the parents lovingly said goodbye to Sam and Bo and headed back to the city, not before giving their usual instructions to both of them.

Sam stood by the window as the evening approached, already missing his parents but also happy to be with his grandfather. He started daydreaming about all the things they would do together. "Come on, Sam, let's eat something." "I'm coming, Grandpa," Sam said, running to the table.

Suddenly, behind a tree, a silhouette appeared.

The rays of the sun entered through the window, touching Sam's face and waking him up. He rubbed his eyes before turning to look out the window at the woods. "I can't wait to go for a walk," he thought. The grandfather knocked on the door. "Sam, are you awake?" "Yes, Grandpa, you can come in." The grandfather entered the room and gave a kiss on Sam's forehead, remaining for a moment to gaze into those large hazel eyes that indicated intelligence and curiosity, and reminded him so much of his beloved Maggie. "Come on, I've prepared toast with jam for you." Sam and Bo had breakfast happily.

"Would you like to take a walk in the woods?" "Yes!" Sam replied enthusiastically. "Then go get ready." Sam went to his room to get dressed, and in a flash, he was ready. He hopped around, breathing in the fresh air of nature. He heard a noise and immediately ran to take cover behind Grandpa Bo. "Don't be afraid, Sam, it just wants to be friends." A small, reddish fox emerged from the bushes. It lay down on the ground, with its snout down. Sam mustered up the courage and approached to touch it. He gently stroked it with his trembling hand, and the little fox didn't move. Sam gained more and more confidence until he invited it to run with him. The two of them got along right away, so much so that Sam took more and more care of the little animal.

Sam spent the entire summer in the woods, learning new things every day like starting a fire, gathering firewood, and fetching water from the well. All of these things greatly entertained him. One day, while gathering firewood, he ventured too far into the woods and couldn't find his way back home. The fox immediately came to his aid, followed by his grandfather, and they began to search for him. They found him behind a bush, all frightened. When Sam saw them, he immediately threw himself into his grandfather's arms, crying. "I'm sorry, Grandpa, I won't wander off again." The grandfather stroked his head and said, "The important thing is that you've understood that you shouldn't go off alone. Now, let's go back home." The three of them returned home for dinner.

The next morning, Sam's parents came to pick him up to take him back to their home in the city. Sam was happy to see his parents again but also a little sad to leave his grandfather and the little fox. He decided to make his parents promise that they would bring him back to Grandpa Bo's house. Touched by their child's words, the parents were moved and decided to promise him that they would bring him back to Grandpa Bo's.