A long time ago, in the
mountains that touched the sky, lived a great people. These
people were called the Real or Principal People. And in this land lived a boy. His name was Little Wolf.
Little Wolf lived alone with his mother. His father had died, leaving a hole in Little Wolf’s heart that nothing could fill. His mother did all she could to help the boy, but it was not enough.
Little Wolf was a good boy, and he obeyed his elders. He had a tender heart and respected all things living. Little Wolf loved his mountain home. To escape his grief, the boy began to go far up into the
mountains. There, Little Wolf would stay. This alone gave him comfort. As time passed, the boy spent more time in the mountains and less time with his people.
Little Wolf’s mother began to worry. She went to see one of the respected elders, the Beloved Woman, to ask her for advice.
“Beloved Woman,” began Little Wolf’s mother, “I am concerned about my only son. He is grieving so much for his father, that he has no joy. He used to love to hunt and play games with the other boys. Now all he does is wander in the mountains.
He used to burst with laughter. Now he is silent. I am afraid that he is slipping away from me to join his father’s spirit. You are wise. Tell me what to do.”
“It has only been a short while since your husband, Little Wolf’s father, died,” said Beloved Woman. “Let the boy be for a while. It will do him no harm to go into the mountains. Maybe he will even find the Little People there. You know they can help a troubled child.”
“Wa-do. (Thank you), Beloved Woman,” Little Wolf’s mother said.
So every day, Little Wolf would go into the mountains. His mother would not prevent him, but would watch with a heavy heart until he was out of sight.
Little Wolf walked for miles up into the
mountains to a secret place. The boy was sure that he was the only person who knew of this place. Here, Little Wolf felt less
sadness.
As he walked, tall trees rose above him and brushed the sky. Little Wolf walked past rushing rivers and slow-moving creeks. Sometimes, the boy would pause and skip rocks in the clear, cool water.
After much time, Little Wolf climbed a rocky ridge. At the top of the ridge, he could see a small clearing. Here the grass was green and sweet. The grass in the clearing formed a perfect circle. Near the clearing was a beautiful waterfall.
Here, beside the waterfall, Little Wolf would sit. Little Wolf did not know exactly why, but this place was like medicine for his spirit.
A hawk circled above Little Wolf. The bird’s cry pierced the silence. A rustling startled the boy. A fat rabbit ran behind a rock.
“Run, rabbit, or hawk may get you!” the little boy warned.
Something else caught Little Wolf’s attention. He turned to see a beautiful fox. The fox stopped and stared at him with bright,
intelligent eyes.
Little Wolf enjoyed watching the animals. He would always sit very still so he wouldn’t scare them away. After a while, the animals became used to the boy’s
presence.
Little Wolf
remembered a story that the elders told about how in the beginning of the world animals and humans had a great friendship and spoke the same language. Little Wolf wished he could talk to the animals as the old ones had.
Little Wolf spent most of the day in the place by the waterfall and thought of his father. It was as though his father was with him. “Little Wolf, my son,” he could almost hear his father say.
He wrinkled his nose. He smelled the familiar clean scent of his father. He remembered how his father’s eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed. Little Wolf began to cry. He cried until he had cried himself out. Exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.
Little Wolf dreamed of the animals. They gathered around him in a circle and began to talk.
The cougar said, “Be silent, do not cry.”
The bear said, “Little Brother, do not weep.”
The eagle said, “Be strong.”
The wolf said, “Dry your tears.”
Each animal came to Little Wolf with words of comfort. The boy was
delighted that he could
understand all the
animals. While he dreamed, a smile came over his face. He laughed aloud for the first time in months.
Little Wolf awoke from his dream with a start. He heard the sound of drums. Little Wolf sat up. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes. The boy couldn’t believe what stood before him!
Next Time: The Little People |
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