The Little Red Boy And His Wolf Friend

The Little Red Boy And His Wolf Friend [Red Folk And Wild Folk]

A small band of Indians went into the forests to hunt one summer, and among them were a young mother and her little boy who was just passing his sixth summer. The mother loved her boy dearly, and all the more did she love him because he was ill.

When she went with her husband, to help him with the game he might kill, she left her baby in the care of an old woman, and told her to look after the little one well until she should return again.

At such times, the little fellow would take some food in his little hands, and wander off into the woods. It was not long before he became acquainted with the animal people, and he loved them very much ; but the wolves were especially kind to him, and would talk to him or play all day long, and at night walk with him, almost to the encampment ; but they would not go home with the boy, because they knew the man people would shoot them.

One morning, when the beautiful summer had passed by and the blue man of the north, as the Indian children call winter, had announced, in the deep voice of the West Wind, that he was coming, the hunters told the people that they would move on toward home, and that the old people and boys should pack the things and follow with the children. The mother bade her boy good-bye, and told him to be good, saying that they would soon be together again.

When all were ready to start, the boy saw the old woman put on her moccasins, and he asked, “When will you put on my moccasins?” "I will do it soon," answered the woman, but, after all the people had gone, she left camp. “You have not put on my moccasins," said the boy; but the woman answered, “I am not going to put on your moccasins, I am tired taking care of you. You will never be a big hunter." He was afraid when he saw the old woman leave him all alone, and tried to follow her; but the snow hurt his feet, and he had to go back. “How I wish I had gone with mother," he thought; " but she will come back, and my father will come, when they see I have been left behind." So he sat down to wait.

He was crying bitterly—he was so cold and hungry— when he felt the soft fur of some animal rubbing against his bare little legs. He looked up, and there was his friend, the wolf. How glad he was to see the animal! and the wolf told him to stop crying:— "I will take you to your father and mother, for you have been kind to me."

The boy was glad; he jumped upon the wolf's back, and off they started over the trail the Indians had made. As they were traveling along, the little boy saw a porcupine in a tree. “Get me that porcupine," he said; but the wolf answered,” No, it will take too long," and on they went. Before long the boy saw a rabbit. “Get me that rabbit, my friend; I am so hungry." The wolf put the boy on the ground and caught the rabbit. “Cook it," he said, and when the boy had cooked the rabbit, he turned to the wolf and asked, "Which part do you like best?” and the boy gave the wolf the parts he wanted, and ate the rest himself. Then they lay down to sleep.

In the morning, they started on their journey again, and the boy used the rabbit skin to cover his feet, so they should not be so cold. The wolf travelled along very swiftly, and, just at night, overtook the camp. He carried the boy to his father's tepee, and the little fellow ran in. There he saw his father and mother mourning, for they were sad because the old woman told them their boy had fallen in, in crossing a stream, and had drowned before she could reach him.

When they saw the boy, they were glad, and asked how he had got to them again. “The wolf brought me, and he is waiting outside," answered the boy. “Go out and ask the wolf to come into my tepee," said the father to the woman; but the wolf would not come for her, so she said: “I see some one out there, but I don't know who It is." “Go," said the father to his son, “bring your friend in " ; and the boy persuaded the wolf to go with him.

When he was In the tepee, the wolf said to the woman : " You had better call me ' some one,' when you are no one, to leave that poor child in the cold, to starve and freeze, because you were tired of taking care of him."

The father and mother heard what the wolf said, and then they knew what the old woman had done. They were very angry, and, after thanking the wolf for his kindness to their boy, they gave him great quantities of meat and provisions for the winter. Before he left, they told him if ever he were in need of food to come to them, and they would give him part of what they had. Then they bade him good-bye.

As for the old woman, when the Indians started for home next day, the mother took her boy with her ; but left the woman, without moccasins or provisions, to perish in the cold, just as she had tried to have the baby do.