A Tale of a Wolf

Don't look at me like that.

There were times the sun rose and set only for me.

The birds sang only to make me happy.

The rivers flowed towards me,

and the grass grew so l could play in it.

l was a prince.

Actually, why just a prince?

l was a king.

And the whole world around me was my kingdom.

From the moment l opened my eyes and learned to walk

l started to run around and poke my nose everywhere.

You can always find something good.

And if you do, it's best to hide it

before someone else takes it away.

That's why you should wake up first and scout out the territory.

That way you can grab a good spot to wait for Mother

and be the first to grab a teat before your brothers wake up.

With a lot of pups and fewerteats, whoeverdidn't grab one in time

simply didn't get any milk.

That's something that l learned early on and l'll neverforget,

if you don't look out for yourself you'll end up hungry.

And anotherthing l learned: lnstead of fighting for milk

it's best to be ready to jump forthe meat.

Father brought it from the hill in his belly and vomited it onto the ground.

lt may sound kind of gross, but it tasted divine.

Fatherdidn't always feel like dealing with us.

The angrier he got, the more we wanted to go to him.

Although no one had a chance.

That is... no one but me.

Father had a problem with his front leg

but that didn't stop him from hunting for us.

One day instead of giving us meat he made us follow him.

l was disappointed that he didn't bring any food

but l gradually realized that something new and interesting was happening.

We left our protected canyon forthe first time

and climbed the hill to...

Actually, l had no idea to what.

l didn't even know there was anything outside the canyon.

The fartherwe went, the more curious l was.

ln the end l couldn't hold back. l left the pack and went on alone.

ln an instant the whole world changed.

l couldn't believe my eyes.

lt was a thousand times more than anything l'd everseen.

l wasn't even sure it was real.

My brothers had already gone back but l didn't care.

l wanted to run to that amazing new place...

Actually, l didn't want to, l had to!

l felt it inside.

Fathertried to call me, but he saw that l simply couldn't move.

l was stuck.

On one hand l was irresistibly drawn there,

on the other hand l felt my body couldn't do it yet.

l had no choice but to wait a while.

But with every day that passed

my yearning only grew to explore those spaces,

and as soon as my body was big enough l set out.

No matter how far l ran there was no end to it.

Not before me, not behind, not to the sides...

Just more and more freedom in every direction.

The farther l went, the stronger l felt,

the fartheraway l got, the more l loved the wide open spaces.

l was as happy as can be.

Suddenly l saw the animals with horns that l'd seen from the hill.

l wanted to leap with them through the tall grass,

it looked like such fun,

but theirscent drove me wild and suddenly all l wanted to do

was eat them.

But they had other ideas.

Maybe l wasn't quiet enough?

Maybe l wasn't quick enough?

Where's Father when you need him?

l was hungry, so hungry...

l'd neverfelt so hungry before.

And then l smelled the wonderful meat that Father used to bring us.

But l was surprised by theirsize and their look wasn't too encouraging.

How could l get a little piece of that?

l didn't know what l wanted more,

to fill the hole in my belly orto prove l could beat them.

What l discovered was, one wolf alone doesn't make fairteams.

And as if that weren't enough, suddenly my way was blocked

by those lines. What is that?

l couldn't keep going. This was too much.

l had to satisfy my belly and my sense of dignity somehow.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave the pack.

Everything was a little more complicated than l thought.

Little did l know that it would only get more complicated.

The changes caught me unprepared.

l couldn't figure out where the sun went

orwhat all that soft whiteness was, but it froze my paws

and made it hard to move,

not to mention catch something to eat.

Everything slowed down.

l looked at the otheranimals and thought about my brothers

who were probably huddling together to keep warm.

Don't believe what they say.

Who wants to be a lone wolf anyway?

And again those lines that block the way and the food...

Who put them there?

Finally the sun came back along with the sounds

l'd got used to hearing, and the animals l'd got to know.

Renewal was in the air

and that brought back memories of home.

Maybe my parents also had new babies after l left.

Little brothers who l don't even know.

l felt full and gave up on eating it.

So ljust sat there and watched it.

But then came new noises,

louder, uglier, scarier noises than l'd ever heard before.

What kind of animal makes that kind of noise?

l didn't know whetherto run away like everyone else orwait.

lf his mother left him there, maybe l should stay, too?

l saw her look for him and not find him.

You could say l was worried about him.

Strange as it seems, l was glad to see that he was all right.

lt seemed like the danger had passed.

But then l noticed that the animal left something behind

and that something was growing at a frightening rate.

The heat became unbearable, l had to find a way to cool off.

And then l saw her.

l couldn't take my eyes off her.

lt was love at first sight.

Suddenly everything was different.

l didn't want to run in the fields any more, orclimb hills,

or prove myself to the cows ortake overthe world...

all l wanted was her.

The earth felt different, the wind, even the waterseemed clearer,

as if the world had suddenly changed colorand shape.

Everything became fun, and not only that,

l didn't have to make do with hyraxes any more.

Now we'll show those cows.

Two wolves is a totally different story.

Although it was the first time we ever hunted together

it felt like we'd been doing it forever.

But let's not get carried away.

Friends are one thing but meat is another.

l'm the male and l always eat first.

One summer morning l went out wandering, l sniffed the grass,

made paths among the flowers,

and then fell asleep unworriedly in the sunshine.

But then those noises came again, louderand closer,

and everyone ran away again.

l didn't know what to do so l hid and looked around.

The animal was dragging a deer, two, three...

many more than l could count.

How did it catch so many so fast?

How big is its pack that it needs so much food?

What if it decides to hunt me? And her?

Where is she, anyway?

l was surprised at the way l felt.

l'd never been so worried about anyone but myself before.

The days passed and things started to overflow.