The forest lay shrouded in thick darkness. Upon the damp earth, beneath an ancient oak, sat an old man. His breath came ragged, his hands trembled from the cold, and his eyes brimmed with despair. His own children had brought him there and abandoned him like worthless rubbish.
For years, they had waited for his death. The inheritancea grand house, fertile lands, and a fortune in poundswas meant to be theirs. But the old man refused to die. So they hastened the end, leaving him in that lonely wood with neither food nor drink, hoping wild beasts would do their work and the constables would call it a tragic accident.
The poor soul, slumped against the tree, shuddered at every sound. The wind howled in the distance, but beneath its whispers came another noisethe cry of wolves. He knew his time was near.
“Dear Lord is this truly how it ends?” he whispered, clasping his hands in prayer.
Just then, a branch snapped. Then another. Footsteps drew closer. The old man tried to rise, but his limbs would not obey. His eyes strained through the gloom until, suddenly, from the thicket, a wolf emerged.
The beast moved slowly onto the path. Its fur gleamed beneath the moonlight, and its eyes burned like embers. Baring its fangs, it drew nearer.
“This is the end,” the old man thought.
He shut his eyes and prayed aloud, bracing for the bite of sharp teeth. But then, something unimaginable happened.
The wolf did not attack. It padded forward until it stood beside him, paused then bowed its head and gave a soft whine, as though speaking to him.
Bewildered, the man stretched out a handand to his astonishment, the creature did not retreat. Instead, it allowed him to stroke its thick coat.
Then, memory stirred. Many years past, when his limbs were still strong, he had found a young wolf caught in a hunters trap. Fearless, risking his own life, he had pried open the cruel iron jaws and set the beast free. The wolf had fled without a backward glance yet it seemed it had never forgotten.
Now, the lone predator bowed before him like a grateful servant. The wolf crouched lower still, its message plain: climb on.
With great effort, barely clinging to strength, the old man grasped the beasts neck. The wolf rose and carried him through the blackened woods. The man heard branches crack beneath its paws, saw shadows of other creatures lurking near, yet none dared approach.
After miles, a light appeared aheada village. Hearing the commotion, folk rushed out and beheld the impossible: a great wolf, with gentle care, laid an old manweak but aliveupon their doorstep.
Once sheltered beneath a roof, surrounded by kind faces, the old man wept. Not from fear, but from the cruel truth that a beast had been more human than his own flesh and blood.
