The Window of A Fox

I would like to introduce a set of stories written by Anfangzhizi(Janpanese) and have been translated into Chinese by Pengyi. "The Window of A Fox" is one of my favourite and long-unforgetable stories since I was a child. I dont know any Janpanese but the translated versions are just also very very nice, guess they are nothing bad or even better compared with the origianlly one? I have never read a english-translated version. So I would like to have a try to transalted the chinese version(not the original one) since I am jobless now-_- mwahaha, do judge me if you think my translation sucks and hope you can correct my mistranslation.

I am kind of a big fan of Janpanese fairy tales which were mostly written in simple soft word and bring me tender feelings. Prince saving the princess or wars between witch and poor beauty or dragon fightings which are normally the theme of western countries--most Asian fairy stories are about animals and human( I love timid animals so lol). Well, I am sort of keen to the western-style's happyending stories too. Hmm, in a word, i enjoy tradition fairy stories which I read in my childhood(and keep reading even I have grown up lol).

The nowadays cartoon mostly socks!



The Window of A Fox

-----With fingers forming a square shape, he looked into it a fascinated world.

I could not recall what day it was that day when I got lost in the way back to my cabin in the mountain. Carrying a gun on my shoulder, I walked dreamily in the familiar trail, reminding myself leisurely about the girl I liked very much.

Suddenly, after turning a normal curve, I felt the sky was particularly bright, like a polished blue glass and even the earth seemed somehow a little blue too.

Why? Now in front of me was not the Pine forest I used to see but—I blinked twice—it was an open field with blue ballonflowers in blossom widened to infinity.

I held my breath, thinking: “Have I followed a wrong path? Where am I now?”

"Turn back!" I demanded myself. The view was so beautiful that I was a little scared. But—with a soft ripple of comfortable wind into my face and the boundless field of ballonflowers lying in front of me—it would be a pity if I just turned my way back.

“Having a short rest here would be ok and nice, just a short one” I sat down, wiping sweat off.

Suddenly a white thing flashed in front of me—a small white fox! I jumped up, chasing after it with gun firmly in my hand.

After running to a higher place, the fox dashed into flowers and disappeared.

I had to stop, wondering where it could be.

"Can I help you?" A strange voice from behind.

I was startled. By turning around, I saw a small shop with a piece of blue sign at the door, reading” Dyeing & Ballonflower Shop”. Beneath the sign stood a staff waisted a navy-colored apron. I realized instantly :”Oh, It must be the fox.” (1)

"Interesting, humph, I shall pretend to be taken on and then I will catch it.” So I managed to wear a smiling face, saying:”can I have a rest here?”

"Please, this way please." The staff transformed by the small white fox smiled back with narrow eyes.

The ground of the shop was simply soil. Five Birchwood chairs placed neatly as well as a nice table.

"Looks pretty." I sat down and took off my hat.

"Thanks sir." The fox served me a cup of tea humbly.

"A dyeing shop? What do you dye then?" I asked in half-jesting

"Anything sir, anything. Your hat, I can dye it beautiful blue." He picked up my hat from the table abruptly.

"Nonsense!" I grabbed it back in a hurry,"I don’t want any blue hat."

"Oh?" then he kept judging my upside down,"how about dyeing your scarf? Sir? Or your socks? Trousers, shirt, sweater, all can be dyed the beautiful blue."

I would like to think that, fox, as well as human-beings, likes to be rewarded. In a word, he treated me as his customer and I had had his tea, it would be inappropriate if I didn’t offer to buy any goods. I could let he dye my handkerchief I think. At this time, the fox suddenly said happily:” Well, yes, yes, sir, I can dye your fingers!”

"Dye fingers? Is that not strange?"

He smiled again with eyes squeezed to a line, placing his hands in front of me—two small white hands with thumbs and index fingers dyed blue. He put to hands side by side, four fingers formed a diamond shape, just like a window and held its hand in front of me, saying with great pleasure:" Sir, please have a look!"

I looked into the small window reluctantly—then I was shocked!

What I saw was a mature white fox—a beautiful fox mum sitting quietly with tail lifted. It was just like, a painting of fox embedded in that small window.

"What, who is this?" I almost failed to utter a word because of the tension.

"She is mum. Long time ago, she was Penged…" mournfully he murmured.

"Penged? By gun?"

"Yes, gun."

He couldn’t help holding his hand any more and lowered his hand. Without realizing he had given himself away, he continued:” My mum dead but I just eagerly wish I could see her again. Later in a similar windy autumn like today, the ballonflowers whispered to me in chorus ‘dye your fingers and make a window by them.’ So I gathered many ballonflowers and used their juice to dye my finger. It is so amazing you know. Since then I don’t feel lonely anymore for through this window I can see my mum whenever I want. "

I was so moved by what he said for I feel lonely sometimes too. I brightened my self with childlike happy, saying: "Ah, I also want a window like this! "

"Yes sir, I can dye them now! Please put your hand here." The fox was now turned to a cheerful mood.

I put my hands in the table. He brought a plate with flower juice in it and a brush. Then he began to dye my fingers slowly and carefully. Soon my thumbs and index fingers had the color like ballonflowers.

"Hey, finished, please form your window and have a look at it!"

My heart gave a great bound. I formed them to a diamond shape, trembling it in front of my eyes.

Inside the small window was a shadow of a girl. She was wearing a flower-figure dress, a hat with ribbons. Her eyes, there’s a tiny mole under her eyes…she was just the girl I liked very much but could never meet again!

I jumped up.

"Well, isn’t that good that to have your fingers dyed?"the fox smiled at me innocently.

"Ah, that is really great!"

I wanted to pay but there was no money in the pocket. "I am so sorry I didn’t bring any money with me but I think I can give you anything you want like hat, shirt, sweater or scarf, anything will be ok."

The fox replied: " Well, sir, would you please give me your gun."

I was a little reluctant but as soon as I recalled that I had just got such a wonderful window, I didn’t feel it was a pity:" Ok, here you are."

"Thank you sir, thank you very much." He took my gun and bowed promptly. Then he gave me some mushroom as present.

I asked he about the way back. He told me the Pine forest was just behind the shop and another 300 meter walk with reach my home. I walked to the back of the shop and found the familiar forest of Pine. The forest was flecked with autumn sunshine, warm and quiet.
I never expect such a secret path as well as the brilliant flower-field and the nice fox shop in the mountain which I thought I knew well… I felt very happy, humming a song, walking, placing fingers into the window shape.

This time it was raining there. It was fog-like drizzle, quiet and still. I looked into the rain a vague picture of yard once it was in my dream too. On the opposite of the yard was a set of gallery under which lied a child’s boots soaked by rain.

Suddenly I knew: that was my boots! My heart started to beat wildly for I realized my mum would come to pick the boots!

What would she wear? She would probably complain:"Ya, naughty boy, always throw things randomly."

I remembered that in the yard there was also a small garden. Mum planted vegetables. Perilla, green ones, they were probably also in the rain. Ah, mum might soon came to yard to get some vegetables…

Lamp was lighting in the home. I could hear two children’s laughter off and on mixed with the music from a radio. That was me as a child and the other was my little sister who had gone to the other world.

I sighed, put down my hands. I didn’t know why I just felt really sad. My home had been burnt down many years ago. The yard was never gonna exist any more…

Now I had these surprising fingers so I got everything and was not going to lose them!

But could you imagine the first thing I did after arrived my cabin? Ah I washed my hands unconsciously—it was just my habit. Then I realized something but the blue had been washed away. With the clean fingers I could only see through the window it formed the ceiling of my cabin however hard I tried.

That night I forgot to cook the mushroom but just sat still in dismay.

The next day I planed to return to the shop and asked him to redye my fingers. However, I could never find the original ballonflowers field—it was just Pine forest, a whole forest of Pine trees.

I kept wandering in the mountain during the following days. As long as there was something sounded like fox or as long as there was something white flashed through, I would keep myself alert and search through that direction. However, I have never met a fox again since then on.

Still I frequently make the window with fingers. I think I might see something one day. People often laugh at me for this:” Your habit is really strange!”




(1) In Janpanese tales, foxes as well as leopard cats can transform themselve to human appearances as protections or to make fun of real human-beings.