From the Enchanted Garden of Elspethe
to
Deeper into the Forest of Wolves
"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from a great lonliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon
happens to man. All things are connected".
Chief Seattle
Wolves are carnivores, and cannot survive without killing other animals for their food. This is not a bloodthirsty act of violence (a judgment only humans can make), but simply an act of survival. A wolf could no more choose to survive on fruits and vegetable matter than a deer could decide to survive on meat.
The wolf is an apex
predator, like humans, and is at the top of its food chain. |
The Dog and the Wolf
"There was once a forlorn wolf who had little to eat for many days. He had grown
very thin and very tired. His coat was sparce, and winter was approaching. One evening the
sad and weary wolf had a very unusual encounter with a fine and obviously well-fed dog
wandering near the edge of the village by the woods. Surprised and impressed, the wolf
remarked at how shiny the dog's coat appeared, and how much energy he had. "You, too,
can look so fine and eat so well," encouraged the dog.
Eager to eat, the wolf asked how. "Life in the woods is far too hard", said the
dog. "Leave the woods behind and come with me and you shall never have to hunt and
fight for your food again." The wolf was sceptical, but his curiousity was piqued,
and he asked just what the dog did in return for such splendor and comfort. "Very
little," replied the dog. "I protect my master's house from thieves, although
there never have been any, and I curl up at his feet when I'm allowed. For this, I have
sumptuous scraps from the table--bits of chicken and lamb, beef and bread, kind words, and
a place to rest my head."
The tired wolf, his stomach growling, was filled with visions of an easy life and a full
stomach, and nearly sprang to his feet to follow the dog when something caught his eye.
"What is this strange marking around your neck?" asked the wolf, noticing a band
of skin where the dog's fur had been worn away. "That's nothing," answered the
dog. "Nothing?" questioned the wolf. "You see simply the mark from my
collar and chain. I hardly notice it myself anymore. It means little."
"Little!" the wolf cried. "Are you not free to roam at will when and where
you please?" "Only when I slip away, but not very often," said the dog.
"At night, they chain me to a tree, but my kennel is close at hand in case it rains.
I've no complaints."
The wolf could not believe his ears. "A chain! A kennel! I'd have complaints!"
he cried. "I may be cold and wet some nights and I may know hunger well, but my
freedom is one thing, good friend, that I will never sell!"
The wolf turned away, still hungry but no more forlorn or weary. A sadder and wiser dog
watched him trot away."
Freedom is the most valuable thing to a wolf.
Family Traits
There are some important similiarities and differences between wolves and domestic dogs:
"Silent Passage"
..On it's journey to extinction a wolf pauses and looks back on those who are helping with
that journey.
There is no malice in the wolf's eyes, rather there is a hint of tragic understanding,
an instinctive intelligence that knows that all species including mankind
will disappear from its enviornment when that enviroment is
altered by a stronger force. The world will be a poorer
place if the wolf passes in history.
Return to the Edge of the Forest