The unnamed, female narrator of "Boys and Girls," by Alice Munro, begins the short story with her statement, "My father was a fox farmer." She describes his trade in fox furs and the companies he traded with, which gave the family scenic calendars that hung on their kitchen door. She tells of his method for removing the fur from the dead fox, and introduces the hired man, Henry Bailey, as well as her brother, Laird, and her mother. The narrator describes her mother's distaste for the whole pelting process. The narrator describes the overall smell of it all to be homey and comforting. She describes Henry's difficulty with his lungs, and also makes quirks about such things as his voluntary stomach growling and laughter.

The narrator tells how, strangely, they were not afraid of the outside in winter, with the snow and winds howling. Rather...