The Way Home for Wolf

As a rainbow of lights flickered soft in the night, dusting diamonds of ice in a desert of white, the wild, whipping wind, it whistled its tune to a howling of wolves and a shimmering moon. And the loudest “ARRROOOOOO” in this echoing song was a wolfing called Wilf at the heart of the throng. He loved to be fierce and longed to be grown. He liked to try everything all on his own. “Look at me! I am big! I am tough!” he would growl, whilst he showed off his strength and practiced his prowl. “Let’s go!” shouted Wilf, “I am ready to lead.” “You’re too small,” laughed the wolves, “it’s an elder we need.” “One day,” they advised, “you will guide from the front.” “I suppose,” muttered Wilf with a huff and a grunt. One night it was time for the wolves to move on… New folks had moved in and their shelter was gone! So they left right away, to find a new cave. They would have to walk far and they’d have to be brave. They struggled through snow as high as their flanks and leapt onto rocks as they scaled icy banks. Wild gave his all to keep pace and keep up, but strong-willed as he was, he was still just a pup. He kept dropping back with each clamber and climb, as the pack journeyed further away all the time. Exhausted and breathless, he strayed off the track when a blizzard blew in and he lost his way back. Wilf longed to howl, “Help!” and to holler it loud… but his throat was too hoarse and his heart was too proud. He lay on the tundra, his tail curled up tight. A blanket of stars was his bed for the night. Until CRACK! went the ice. CRACK and KER-EEEEAK! Wilf jumped to all fours with a deafening shriek. He stuck out the claws on every limb. He HAD to hold on… because Wilflings can’t swim! Then he fell and he fell, rolling and spinning. It felt like the end, but was just the beginning… since somebody down there had heeded his scream, and she had swooped from beneath like a watery dream. “I’ll help you!” she called. “Just reach for my horn!” A majestic and magical… SEA UNICORN! Wilf’s pride washed away as he stretched out a paw, and she lifted him gently back onto the shore. “Don’t worry!” she sung before dipping her brow, “My friend MR WALRUS will help you out now.” And there, right behind him, a huge, tusky fellow lifted his whiskers and let out a BELLOW! “To the ridge!” he proclaimed with his chin in the air. “My friend, mighty MUSK OX, will take you from there.” And with waitings of fish and a very loud snort, their journey was made and their travel seemed short. And there, sure enough, on the ridge was the ox, who took Wilf as far as his friend ARCTIC FOX who followed his nose through the trees to a GOOSE who guided him, honking, to the ancient MOOSE! The moose knew these wilds like no other soul. He was steady and true in pursuit of their goal. And as twilight closed in, Moose sang out a call to a flittering, fluttering, tiny fluff ball… a BEAR-MOTH! Who showed Wilf the rest of the way to the place where this wolfing most wanted to stay. “THANK YOU!” Wilf waved as he rejoined his pack, and the wolves howled with joy that their Wilfling was back. They huddled him and cuddled him close and fussed over which wolf had missed him the most. Wilf, he knew then, that when ALL come together, the darkest of times are easy to weather. So he bowed to the narwhal, ox, walrus and goose, and vowed to the fox, and the moth, and the moose… “If ever I meet one who’s strayed off their track, I’ll help them along by guiding them back.” And true to his word, Wilf is different now, and his world seems much smaller and warmer somehow. Since wherever life takes you, wherever you roam… we’re all just a handful of friendships from home.