Playing near the Eurotas river, a group of Spartan boys learn that their friend captured a little fox. They go to see the animal locked in a cage. Kokkalos feels pity for the little fox and thinks he would have cared for it better. He asks his friend, Fillos, who caught the fox, to give the animal to his group, called Foxes; Fillos’group is called Wolves. The Wolves agree on the condition that Kokkalos intercepts the animal unnoticed.

At night, Kokkalos sneaks to the cage without sound, takes the fox, and hides it under his coat. Unfortunately, one of the “wolves”, Iren, approaches. Kokkalos tries to distract him by chatting about the stars. The chat evolves into a discussion about the world, but Kokkalos, focused on the fox who bites him trying to escape, hardly answers. He is in agony but bravely hides his pain. Eventually, he faints from the loss of blood. The next day, he regains consciousness and asks what happened to the fox. He learns that, despite his failure, his behaviour was judged exemplary according to Spartan standards. The boy is quite happy that the little fox is free because he would have also fought if anyone tried to take away his freedom.

The story of the Spartan boys and their adventures is intended for an audience of children within the same age group. The protagonist appears, at first, quite ordinary, similar to his contemporary companions, as well as boys of any other period, but it turns out that what seems ordinary in Sparta may prove to be quite unusual today. Kokkalos is presented as a role model. His relationship with the other boys is highlighted. Since he belongs to the Foxes, he never acts as an individual only. Similarly, Fillos, even though he caught the animal, asks the Wolves whether he should give the little fox to the Foxes. The two groups are friendly, and there is no antagonism between them. Each boy “competes” with himself to improve his qualities and develop Spartan virtues desired and appreciated within the community.

Focusing on child upbringing in ancient Sparta, the author shows its intended effects. Kokkalos respects the laws, values, and morals of his country and his group, which functions as his family. He hides the pain he feels from the fox’s claws and teeth and does not complain even when blood runs down his legs. On the one hand, he wants the pain to stop and is tempted to free the animal, but on the other, the others’ opinion is very important to him. “He remembered the lessons he heard every day: a true Spartan would rather die of pain than let the others see it!” (p. 115). He thinks that his value depends on whether he succeeds in hiding his suffering. It brings to mind the epitaph of Spartans who died at Thermopylae – the boy is as obedient to the laws of Sparta as were its most famous warriors. 

The scene also reminds the readers of the reality of a contemporary war which ended barely two years before the story was published. The motif of brave, silent resistance in the face of torture is present in many stories for children published in Płomyk during the first few years after WW2. Prima facie, the theme might not seem appropriate for children. However, many readers heard, saw, or even experienced torture during the war – either from the Nazis or the Soviets. In the post-war reality, Kokkalos’ persistence and love for leges patriae (the laws of the fatherland) are very relevant to the readers. Moreover, the issue of freedom is raised twice. Firstly, when Kokkalos sympathises with the captured fox, wishing to make the captivity bearable or even to free the animal. In the end, Kokkalos is happy that the little one escapes, even if it means that his mission fails. His empathy for the creature and his attitude to re-gaining freedom as the supreme good are evident at the story’s end. Kokkalos “wished the little fox who made him suffer so much, to be free. He, Kokkalos, if anyone wanted to take away his freedom, would also strike, bite, rip out his enemy’s intestines. He would fight until his last breath” (p. 115). The myth of Sparta, present in Polish culture for centuries, appeared to have increased in relevance in the context of WW2.

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