The forest was swallowed by deep darkness. On the damp earth, beneath an ancient oak, sat an old man. His breath was laboured, 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, land, and moneywas meant for them. But the old man refused to die. So, they hastened the end: they left him in the heart of that lonely forest, without food or water, hoping the wild beasts would finish the job and the police would call it a tragic accident.
The poor old man, leaning against the tree, shuddered at every sound. In the distance, the wind howled, but beneath its whistle 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 twig snapped. Then another. Footsteps drew closer. The old man tried to rise, but his body failed him. His eyes searched the darkness until, suddenly, from the bushes, a wolf emerged.
The creature moved slowly onto the path. Its fur gleamed under the moonlight, and its eyes glowed like embers. Baring its fangs, it stepped closer.
“This is the end,” the old man thought.
He shut his eyes and began to pray aloud, bracing for the pain of sharp teeth. But then, something unimaginable happened.
The wolf did not attack. It approached until it stood beside him, paused then lowered its head and let out a soft whine, as if speaking to him.
Bewildered, the man reached outand to his shock, the animal did not retreat. Instead, it allowed him to stroke its thick coat.
Then, the old man remembered. Many years ago, when he still had strength, he had found a young wolf trapped in a hunters snare in these very woods.
Without fear, risking his life, he had pried open the deadly iron jaws and set it free. The wolf had fled without a backward glance but it seemed, it had never forgotten.
Now, that solitary predator bowed before him as if to a saviour. The wolf crouched lower, making its message clear: climb on.
With great effort, barely clinging to strength, the old man grasped the beasts neck. The wolf rose and carried him through the dark woods. The man heard branches crack beneath its paws, saw shadows of other creatures lurking, yet none dared approach.
After a few miles, a light appeared aheada village. Hearing barks, the villagers rushed out and saw the unbelievable: a huge wolf gently laying an old man, weak but alive, at their doorstep.
Once sheltered under a roof, surrounded by kind faces, the old man wept. Not from fear, but from realising that a beast had shown more humanity than his own flesh and blood.
