Little Foxes
Encyclopedia
Little Foxes is a book written by Michael Morpurgo
in 1984.
who has had many foster families, but none of them have worked out. He is currently living with a foster mother in the suburb
s of a city. They don't get on well, and at school
Billy is not good at subjects, especially English
(he cannot read out loud because he has a stutter). One night, Billy tries to run away, and runs into the nearby abandoned land where there are the ruins of a monastery
. There is plentiful wildlife
living in this place that everyone calls "The Waste Ground". Billy fathers four orphaned foxes
and develops a relationship with a swan
, too.
Billy decides that his life is becoming a little better - he has found some animal friends and has lost his stutter. He returns to his foster home, but this doesn't last, and eventually he runs away with one of the young foxes (the other three were gassed by the local council
), and goes on many adventures. At the end he lets the swan fly away freely. On these adventures, he meets a man who has a boat and cares for all the birds around the river. The man says that Billy can stay with him on his boat as they are going in the same direction. Eventually, Billy shoots above the foxes head and he runs away, never to return. Billy and the man then return to his home, where is adopted by the man and his wife.
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
in 1984.
Plot
Billy Bunch is an orphanOrphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
who has had many foster families, but none of them have worked out. He is currently living with a foster mother in the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of a city. They don't get on well, and at school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
Billy is not good at subjects, especially English
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
(he cannot read out loud because he has a stutter). One night, Billy tries to run away, and runs into the nearby abandoned land where there are the ruins of a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. There is plentiful wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
living in this place that everyone calls "The Waste Ground". Billy fathers four orphaned foxes
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
and develops a relationship with a swan
Mute Swan
The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...
, too.
Billy decides that his life is becoming a little better - he has found some animal friends and has lost his stutter. He returns to his foster home, but this doesn't last, and eventually he runs away with one of the young foxes (the other three were gassed by the local council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
), and goes on many adventures. At the end he lets the swan fly away freely. On these adventures, he meets a man who has a boat and cares for all the birds around the river. The man says that Billy can stay with him on his boat as they are going in the same direction. Eventually, Billy shoots above the foxes head and he runs away, never to return. Billy and the man then return to his home, where is adopted by the man and his wife.