Amena stopped in her tracks when she heard scurrying in the garden shed. She could see nothing when she peered through the window. Opening the door a crack to look inside she saw a frightened pointy face and a great bushy tail.

 

“Oh!” she exclaimed and then clapped her hands over her mouth — too late, as the face disappeared in a flash.

 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

 

She cautiously pulled the door open and peered into the musty depths. This was her dad’s shed that he had eagerly bought when he thought he liked gardening years ago. Then he quickly discovered that gardening required effort — now the hired gardener came round once a month while her dad’s gardening tools sat collecting dust.

 

At first, Amena couldn’t see anything past the thick dust and cobwebs floating in the air. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out a pair of small eyes shining in the darkness. Then she saw pointy ears, a small red body with clumsy paws, and a bushy tail poking out behind. It was a baby fox!

 

“Hi there,” Amena said softly. “Are you lost?”

 

She slowly moved into the shed, trying her best not to scare the fox. She knew that she should keep her distance, as foxes were wild and unpredictable. But this one was so small and looked so frightened! Amena knew she had to help somehow. She had just come home from school and had a bit of her lunch left in her backpack. Trying not to make any sudden moves, she took her half-eaten ham sandwich out and crouched down, reaching out toward the fox. Its nose twitched and the fox took a little step forward.