Story: Mother Wolf

(Wolf howling: Pixabay)

Once upon a time, there was a mother wolf that lived with her four baby wolves. They lived on a mountain in their wolf den. Mother wolf did what a typical mother would do: she found food for her kids, taught them, played with them, and most importantly she kept them safe. She had to work extra hard because she lost papa wolf to a huntsman. He sacrificed his life so she could get away and return to their four baby wolves.

One day, mother wolf was strolling along the mountain trying to find food and she came upon something surprising. She heard a distant cry but was not sure what it was. As she got closer, she noticed it was not food but it was a baby human. The baby was crying and mother wolf could tell that it was hungry. So many thoughts came across her mind. Ever since papa wolf died, she held a great grudge against humans. She thought, “Where are the parents? What if I take this baby in and when it gets older it will turn around and kill me? Am I betraying papa wolf? Will this baby hurt my baby wolves at home? Maybe this is a trap?”

As she was just about to leave, something inside of her would not let her. Mother wolf was such a caring and loving mother, she couldn’t imagine leaving this baby in the wilderness with nothing. This baby may be someone’s supper if she left. After debating, she decided to take the baby. When she got home, her baby wolves were all confused but she told them that this baby was their new sibling and his name was Ailbe. They all played together, ate together, and grew up together.

Many years flew by, and all of mother wolf’s babies grew. She was even more protective because she knew about the evil huntsmen. She told them to always be careful and watch out for one another.

One day, a hunter passed the wolves’ den and noticed something very different. He knew he saw wolves but one of them looked more like a human. He followed them and decided to capture that thing, which was Ailbe. Since Ailbe was not a wolf, he could not outrun the hunter. The hunter quickly grabbed him and flew away. Mother wolf heard a commotion outside and ran to see what it was. All she could hear was Ailbe crying for help. At that moment, mother wolf was furious and she had so many emotions running through her mind. She could not handle another human taking away someone she loved. She ran as fast as she could with her children right by her side. After many miles, mother wolf did not want to stop but her body would not go any further. All she could see was the hunter with her Ailbe disappearing.

Ever since that day, mother wolf has never been the same. She was very sad. Her children tried to make her laugh but it just wasn’t the same without Ailbe. She prayed each day for Ailbe to return but he never did. Many years passed, and mother wolf was still wondering where in this world Ailbe would be. She finally decided that she was going to go look for him.

As mother wolf entered a town nearby, she sensed something weird. All of a sudden, she noticed huntsmen running towards her and she heard loud sounds of horns. She thought to herself, “Oh no, I have to find Ailbe, and if that means dying then it will all be worth it.” She knew Ailbe had to be in that town but she just didn’t know where. As she was running through the town, the huntsmen were getting closer and closer to her. This brought back so many memories. Mother wolf started to think about the time when she was being chased by hunters which cost the life of papa wolf. It also brought back sad memories of when she was running after the hunter that took Ailbe.

Mother wolf could only run so far. As she knew she was about to get caught by the huntsmen, she called out a great howl. As soon as she called out that howl, she noticed a young man. He looked very different, but they had a quick connection. She recognized his eyes and was certain this was Ailbe. This young man demanded the huntsmen stop and not hurt the wolf at all.

As mother wolf walked up to Ailbe, he recognized her as well. He told mother wolf that he would protect her because she once protected him. He then explained to her that long ago, a prince took him away so now he is a Bishop. He promised to keep mother wolf and his brother wolves safe for now on. He also invited them every day to come eat at his palace so they can all eat as a family like before. Mother wolf was happy, not because she didn’t have to worry about finding food for her children, but because she found Ailbe, whom she loved the most. The humans and wolves then became really good friends and they all lived happily ever after together.

Author's Note: I was inspired to write this story after reading “The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe.” I really liked how the story started and ended so I kept mine very similar to it. In my story, I wanted to focus on a character I found interesting. Mother wolf was a really big character when I first read this story so I wanted to turn this story around and explain it from her point of view. I thought it would be interesting to show how mother wolf felt and what she went through. I also added a character in my story, which was papa wolf. I added him because I wanted to show how great a wolf family’s love could be. I wanted to show that mother wolf still had memories of papa wolf and she was not willing to lose another loved one to the evil huntsmen.

I chose this story because I think it goes along well with the other story that I already have in my portfolio. In my other story “A Good Fortune,” two brothers are told to work together to find good fortune by their dying father. The loyal son continued to do what their father told them to but the careless son gave up and left. At the end, the loyal son became wealthy. The two stories are different because one is about a wolf family and the other is about a poor family, but they both send out a similar message. A parent’s love will never fail and sacrificing things will be worth it in the end.

Bibliography: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown. Link to The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe