 Kitsune are commonly portrayed as lovers , usually in stories involving a young human male and a kitsune who takes the form of a human woman . The kitsune may be a seductress , but these stories are more often romantic in nature . Typically , the young man unknowingly marries the fox , who proves a devoted wife . The man eventually discovers the fox 's true nature , and the fox @-@ wife is forced to leave him . In some cases , the husband wakes as if from a dream , filthy , <unk> , and far from home . He must then return to confront his abandoned family in shame . 
