One cold winter evening, forest warden Stepan detected a faint noise near the fence around his hut. When he opened the door, he saw a gaunt she-wolf with bared ribs and a serene, famished gaze. He was saddened by the animal’s suffering and, after a moment of hesitation, he went to retrieve some frozen meat and presented it to her.
This gesture was far from inconsequential, despite its seeming simplicity. Wolves rarely approach humans unless they are really hungry. They usually stay hidden within their territory and stay away from villages.
But the she-wolf was back. Once. But then again. And again. Stepan kept feeding her in spite of the villagers’ objections and worries for their safety. He knew that an unfed wolf is far more dangerous than one that is fed.
Then one day the she-wolf stopped appearing. The inhabitants were relieved. All except Stepan. They missed her. He had become accustomed to her silent visits in the moonlight.
Two months later, he heard a familiar snarl beneath his window. He left quickly. They saw the she-wolf. She wasn’t alone this time, though. By her side stood a pair of young wolves, alert and still. The three stared at Stepan, none of them moving.
That’s when he realized. The she-wolf had been feeding the meat to her kids out in the jungle. Now she had taken them to him. As if to thank them. As though saying goodbye.
Then they vanished into the night. Moreover, wolves were never seen in the area again.
