The Wolf Howling At The Moon
Once upon a time, in a small village on the edge of a large forest, people lived in a cottage.
One evening, while enjoying a quiet dinner by the fire, they suddenly heard a wolf howling nearby. Looking out the window, they saw a wolf's silhouette emerging from the edge of the woods near their cottage. They rushed to close all the windows and lock the front door.
The Wolf was trotting painfully but resolutely out of the woods and wondered what had caused such a commotion among the cottage's inhabitants. He had just let out his lone wolf howl to the moon. Now that winter had come, the cold was biting his skin, and he was looking for a welcoming place—a warm shelter where hospitable people could offer him a good supper and a place by the fire.
He knocked on the cottage door.
"Who are you? What do you want? Show us your paw!", the somewhat frightened inhabitants of the cottage asked.
"I'm looking for a welcoming place, a warm shelter where hospitable people can offer me a good supper and a place by the fire. Winter has come, and the cold is biting my skin," the Wolf replied cautiously. "Why do you want to know who I am and what my paw looks like?"
"We heard a howl and saw a wolf prowling around. Wolves eat men. If you are one of them, you're not welcome in our house!", the inhabitants of the cottage replied.
"I see," thought the Wolf. "After my howling, they're not about to let me in. I'm locked out." Perplexed at having caused so much trouble and not knowing how to fix his mistake, he scratched his head, wondering how to win the confidence of the cottage's inhabitants. Perhaps he could show them a paw bleached with flour.
Then he had a better idea. He traveled through forests, fields, and meadows to find his best friend from childhood: the gentle, kind Lamb. He told the Lamb his plan : together, they could knock on the cottage's door. The Lamb could show his white paw to the inhabitants, and they could both come in and enjoy a seat by the fire.
The Lamb was shivering with cold, too, and gladly accepted the Wolf's offer. Together, they knocked on the cottage door.
"Who are you? What do you want? Show us your paw!"
The little Lamb showed his white paw and said,
"I'm a lamb, and I'd love to sit by the fire because I'm shivering. I've brought a friend who's cold, too. Would you let us in?"
"Agreed," replied the inhabitants.
They opened their doors and let the two visitors in. When they saw the Wolf in their living room, their eyes widened.
"What have we done? A wolf got into our house! And he's friends with a lamb? How is that even possible?"
"Relax, Max. I'm a vegetarian wolf, and the Lamb is my best buddy from childhood. There's nothing to be afraid of. I just wanted a place by the fire."
"And me too! We make quite a team!", the Lamb added. Everyone in the cottage burst out laughing, and they sat down by the fire to tell each other stories.
THE END.