A Boy and a Wolf

February 1984 

There once was a great, big black forest and in this great, big black forest lived a very, very small, little white wolf.  This forest was so large that it was possible to walk for miles and miles and miles without ever coming to the other side or without ever going down the same path.  This very, very small, tiny white wolf was the only white wolf among dozens and dozens of great, big black wolves who lived in the forest.

Because the tiny, little wolf was white and because he was small, all of the huge, large black wolves loved and praised him and treated him like a king.  The great, big huge black wolves looked upon the little, small white wolf as something special and he held a very special place among all of the wolves.  Because the little, small white wolf was so well treated and was so well liked, he gained confidence in himself in spite of his size and his different color and developed the ability to run and to jump as well as the great, big black wolves.  Each year all of the wolves had a race through the great, big black forest and each year the little, small white wolf would win.

Near this great, big black forest was a village and in this village lived black people except for one little, tiny, small white boy and because this small, little white boy was white, when everyone one else was black, the people thought he was different and they did not like him and did not treat him very nicely.  They always made fun of him and teased him and, whenever he tried to do anything, they always just knew that he couldn’t do as well as the little black boys.  Like in the forest, there was an annual race held around the village and the little, tiny white boy would always finish behind the black boys, not because he was slower than the black boys but because he never had enough confidence to run as fast as he could and also he was afraid of winning because he didn’t want to have the black people mad at him.

One day after all the black boys had made fun of the little, tiny white boy, he became sad and felt so bad that he just couldn’t take it anymore and so he ran away from the village and ran into the great, big black forest.

After running and running for a very long time in the great, big black forest, he became very, very tired and fell asleep.   When he woke up, the little, tiny white wolf was there and they looked at one another and the little, tiny white wolf said, “Hello, welcome to the great, big black forest.  I am really glad that you are here.”  The little, small white boy was frightened and replied, “I’m scared.   I live in the village near this big, huge black forest and I ran away from the village because the people there treat me so badly and they always make fun of me and they don’t think I am as good as the black boys.”  The little, small white wolf said, "Yes I know, I know all about how badly the people treat you.  You see, all the wolves in this forest have been watching your village and we have seen how the village has been acting and know all about how you have been treated.”

Then the tiny, little small white wolf said, “Why don’t you stay here with me and live here and I’ll watch after you and take care of you.  And all my friends, all the great, big black wolves can help me and they too will watch after you and take care of you.”

And so the little, tiny white boy stayed in the great, big, huge forest.  He stayed there for a whole year.  During this year, the little small white wolf and the little white boy became really good friends and all the wolves helped the boy.  They give him plenty of love and lots of praise and they helped him do things that he could never do before.  And with time, the tiny, little white boy began to build up his confidence and to be proud of himself.  Not only that but he became really fast.  In fact, he began to run so fast that he was faster than almost all of the wolves in the whole, big black forest.

During the year that the little, tiny, small white boy stayed in the forest, there was something else that happened.  The little white wolf began to teach the little white boy a special power.  This special power was amazing.  With it, the wolves were able to do three things.   First, the wolves were able to bring out of the deep, deep forest where nobody else lived three wise, old men on camels who when they appeared brought with them books, and letters, and rules, and knowledge and wisdom and gave them to the wolves.   And, because these wise men came, the wolves were like the way they were.

Another thing that the wolves were able to do with the special power was to bring out of the deep, deep forest where nobody else lived a young man dressed in a robe who had a magic glow about him.  When this young man appeared, he always brought with him special stories about how to live and about what the wolves should know about themselves.  And, because this young man came, the wolves were like the way they were.

And finally, the third thing that the wolves were able to do with the special power was to have radiate, down through the branches of the trees from the deep, deep forest, a bright, shiny light.   When this bright, shiny light struck the foreheads of the wolves, it made them feel so warm and so good and gave them so much love.  And because this bright, shiny light came the wolves were like the way they were.

The year was up and it was time for the little, tiny white boy to return to the village.  After he returned to the village, he called all the villagers together and then he used the special power that he had gained in the forest to make appear the three wise men on camels.  And then, he used the special power again and made appear the young man dressed in a robe.  And finally, a third time he used his special power and made appear the bright, shiny light.

The three wise men brought with them, for the village, books, knowledge, and wisdom,   and, after the villagers received these things, they saw that they had been wrong.  The young man wearing a robe brought with him special stories about how to live and about what the villagers should know about themselves.  And, after the villagers received these things, they saw that they had been wrong.  The bright, shiny light struck all the villages on the forehead and when this happened they got a warm, good feeling and had love for everyone and saw that they had been wrong.

And so, with this, the whole village changed.   The tiny, little white boy was loved, and treated nicely and became one of the favorite, most-liked people in the village.  And not only that but from then on he started winning every annual race and was the fastest boy the village had ever known.