Gon, the Little Fox

K-Gr 2—This retelling of a Japanese folktale, with exquisite watercolor illustrations by Mita, was first published in 1969. Gon, a mischief-loving little fox, spends his days spying on the villagers who live near his forest home. One day, he sees Hyoju fishing in the rain-swollen stream, and when the young man leaves his basket behind, Gon throws his catch back into the stream. As a squirming eel wraps itself around Gon's neck, Hyoju sees him and calls, "Hey, you, thieving fox." Gon gets away, but 10 days later, he sees the villagers preparing for a funeral and learns that Hyoju's mother has died. Assailed by guilt, Gon raises his paws to his face and thinks, "Now, Hyoju is all alone just like me." The fox tries to make amends by stealing sardines from a peddler. This only leads to more trouble for Hyoju, who fails to comprehend Gon's clumsy attempts at friendship until it is too late. Niimi (1913–43) is often compared to Hans Christian Andersen, and this tale brings to mind The Little Mermaid, The Fir Tree, and The Little Match Girl, among others. It lacks the overt Christianity and moralizing of Andersen's tales, focusing instead on the beauty of the rural landscape and evoking a sense of melancholy. There are references to Buddhism and its customs and a smattering of Japanese terms defined in the text.