Once upon a time, I was hunting sheep.\u00a0 It was a dark and stormy night!\u00a0 Okay, actually it was a very nice sunny summer day.\u00a0 It is just that bad things aren\u2019t supposed to happen on very nice sunny summer days.\u00a0 That is the way it should be anyway.\u00a0 On the particular pleasant day of which I\u2019m speaking I was having myself a sheep lunch.\u00a0 It was so yummy!\u00a0 Even after all it cost me I still remember that succulent meat with fondness.\u00a0 Well fed and well cared for animals taste much better than those who are not.<\/p>\n
For the past week or so before I had the heavenly lunch that turned my life up-side-down, I\u2019d only been able to find underfed rabbits to fill my belly.\u00a0 One of the main laws of hunting is that the prey must be as well fed as the predator if the meal is to be healthy and satisfying.\u00a0 By the time I came upon the small flock of sheep I was more than ready for some decent food. They were grazing on a little hill with no one watching them.\u00a0 The kill promised to be so easy.\u00a0 There were no sheep dogs to bark and alert anyone that there was danger.\u00a0 There were no young men with hooked sticks to attempt to drive me away from my feast.\u00a0 Of course when I approached, the flock scattered like the frightened sheep they were.\u00a0 My heart raced with excitement, for these sheep were also deliciously fat.\u00a0 My eagerly open mouth dripped with hunger driven drewel as I leapt upon the nearest one.\u00a0 My jaws eagerly snapped at the struggling creature\u2019s throat to still its thrashing so that my dining could commence.<\/p>\n
The poor thing died fast enough, kindly allowing me to have my meal in peace.\u00a0 Did I say yet how good it was?\u00a0 Oh it was so good\u2026So very bloody yummy!\u00a0 I ate and ate, stuffing myself until I could hardly move.\u00a0 When I at last turned away from my kill, there was nothing left of it but a pile of hide and bones.\u00a0 Running my tongue over my blood reddened chops, I gave a belch of the purest satisfaction.\u00a0 So heavy and fully sated was I with my kill that I\u2019d have taken a nap then and there if I didn\u2019t fear remaining too long in the territory of men. Not until I rose to depart did I see the old witch.\u00a0 She was almost on top of me!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t understand how I\u2019d missed seeing her before.\u00a0 Perhaps I\u2019d been too engrossed in my kill, but I should\u2019ve at least smelled her scent on the wind or heard her footsteps nearing my feeding ground.<\/p>\n
Before I could even think of fleeing, she\u2019d knelt down and placed her hand right on my head!\u00a0 I opened my mouth to snarl, but no sound came out.\u00a0 I tried turning to take a chunk out of her thin shriveled arm, but I was unable to move!\u00a0 It was then that I realized that she was a witch.\u00a0 She must have used her magic to mask her scent and the sound of her approach.\u00a0 So she was not only a witch.\u00a0 She was a very strong witch.\u00a0 I tried once more to sink my teeth into her arm, but nothing had changed.\u00a0 I still could not move.\u00a0 It was almost as if I was frozen in place.\u00a0 I could open and shut my mouth, but not turn my head.\u00a0 I could move my eyes, but not very far for it was hard to look away from her ugly ancient face.\u00a0 Like all old witches, she had a long pointed wart covered nose along with an equally long and sagging chin to match.\u00a0 Her matted hair scraggled about her shoulders, and seemed to twitch in the wind with a life of its own.\u00a0 To my mind, she was the ugliest witch there was.<\/p>\n
As I was held immobile, she stared coldly into my yellow eyes with her nearsighted green ones.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have laid a spell on you so that you are able to understand my words, wolf.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice was raspy and put me in mind of a frog.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish for you to fully comprehend the curse I\u2019m about to place upon you, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n
It had worked!\u00a0 I could understand her!\u00a0 That was scary!\u00a0\u00a0 If I\u2019d not been bound by her magic, I\u2019d have jumped into the air from the startlement of the experience. I\u2019d never understood the words of humans before.\u00a0 The few times that I\u2019d come close enough to hear them at all, I\u2019d only gleaned meaning from the tones in which they spoke.\u00a0 Now I was understanding the old witch as clearly as I\u2019d understand a fellow wolf.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t like it.\u00a0 It just felt wrong.\u00a0 There was no time to think on that for long, though, for she spoke on.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have dared to fill your greedy belly on the flock of a witch, foolish wolf!\u00a0 For that your hunger will only be fully satisfied when you feast upon human flesh.\u00a0 If you do not, no other meat shall satisfy you.\u00a0 And to make matters worse, if you do not kill a human at least once a month, you shall starve to death in a matter of hours.\u00a0 Your body will not recognize anything you put into it as being food unless you have dined on human flesh monthly.\u201d<\/p>\n
My eyes widened in horror.\u00a0 That was dangerous!\u00a0 A wolf would only do such a thing in times of dire starvation if at all.\u00a0 Men had tricky ways of killing wolves that another beast would not.<\/p>\n
The old hag had not missed my change of expression.\u00a0 It made her cackle with delight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy killing humans, you see.\u00a0 Each human death that I cause adds to my power.\u00a0 As you have offended me, I find it only fitting for you to be an instrument of my will in this matter.\u00a0 It is the least you owe me, do you not think?\u201d<\/p>\n
Was she insane?\u00a0 It had only been one lousy sheep!\u00a0 I tried to whine my displeasure, but to my horror words came from my mouth instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to!\u201d<\/p>\n
Somehow the words still came out in the tone of a plaintive whine which did gratify me somewhat.<\/p>\n
She laughed.\u00a0 The sound was harsh yet high at the same time.\u00a0 It grated on my sensitive ears causing them to twitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is just too bad, for you\u2019ve no choice!\u201d<\/p>\n
As she spoke those words, she gave me a hard smack on the head.\u00a0 Oh how I wanted to tear her arm off then and there!\u00a0 As I still could not move, that wasn\u2019t happening, though.\u00a0 While she spoke on, I could only listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you want to hear the rest of the curse,\u201d she asked sweetly.<\/p>\n
Her voice was so awful that the new sugary tone only made it sound even more scary.\u00a0 I had no idea what to answer to that question, so luckily, she left me no time to do so.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shall only be able to hunt humans who are alone.\u00a0 There can be no other human near by.\u00a0 That will likely keep you safe from being killed so long as you\u2019re not stupid enough to attempt to take down a hunter.\u00a0 You do know what a hunter is do you not?\u201d<\/p>\n
She tilted her head to the side to peer demandingly down into my face.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t answer which only won me another hard smack to the head.\u00a0 It was then that I decided that answering her right away was the best course of action.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t as if I\u2019d ever be able to kill her after all.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I growled out angrily.<\/p>\n
\u201cHunters carry things with them that they use to kill animals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is right,\u201d she crooned.<\/p>\n
Her sweet tone was really making me sick.\u00a0 I would not throw up the sheep I\u2019d so recently dined upon, however.\u00a0 I\u2019d paid for that sheep after all.\u00a0\u00a0 My belly was going to keep it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that all,\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do think so,\u201d she said thoughtfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless you want some more, that is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mad shriek of laughter made me shiver from head to toe.\u00a0 I most certainly did not want anymore cursing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I told her quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ve got all I can stand, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then as another thought struck me, I dared to speak again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy have you given me the power to speak the tongue of humans?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are able to speak because I\u2019ve linked you to myself magically,\u201d she told me smugly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI normally would not consider making a lowly wolf my pet, but as you\u2019ve gone and offended me, the honor is yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
After another rough smack on my head, she stood abruptly.
\n\u201dYou are free to go now.\u00a0 After each kill, you shall be magically compelled to return here so that I may accept the power you\u2019ve gained for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
accept?\u00a0 I was astonished at her choice of words.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t like I was giving her a gift because I wanted her to have it!\u00a0 If she\u2019d been a normal witch rather than the most evil one in the entire world, I may have been able to make amends for eating her sheep.\u00a0 From what little I knew in listening to the forest gossip of other animals, most witches had cats.\u00a0 Cats tended to bring their human masters gifts of dead rats or mice.\u00a0 If I\u2019d eaten one of the sheep of an ordinary witch, I could\u2019ve perhaps apologized by bringing her a whole bunch of dead rodents.\u00a0 That would never work with my witch, though.\u00a0 She\u2019d likely never had a cat in her life.\u00a0 If she had, she\u2019d probably killed it.<\/p>\n
As these thoughts were flitting through my mind, the evil hag was walking away.\u00a0 I found then that I could move once more.\u00a0 Springing to my feet, I dashed away faster than I\u2019d ever run before.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t stop until I was quite far away.\u00a0 My sides were heaving with the effort of my exertions, and my full belly hurt.\u00a0 Flopping down on a bed of thick moss under a tall oak, I set to work at once feeling quite sorry for myself.\u00a0 What had I ever done to deserve this, I wondered dismally.\u00a0 So I\u2019d eaten a sheep.\u00a0 So what.\u00a0 A wolf had to eat, didn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Somehow and in spite of my worry and fear, I managed to fall asleep.\u00a0 My belly was stuffed, after all.\u00a0 Not to mention I\u2019d just run a long way quite fast.<\/p>\n
When I woke, the sun had set and evening had fallen over the forest.\u00a0 For a moment, I just lay there on the moss wondering why I felt so very depressed and dejected.\u00a0 Then it all came back to me.\u00a0 Looking up through the canopy of branches overhead, my eyes sought the moon.\u00a0 It had not risen yet, but I let out a mournful howl anyway.\u00a0 That one felt so good that I did it again and again.\u00a0 I cried out my pain to the sky until my throat was raw.\u00a0 That witch had me trapped quite soundly, and I knew it.<\/p>\n
When I finally dragged myself from the bed of moss, it was to wander about the forest in search of other animals.\u00a0 Anyone who knew a bit about witches or magic would do.\u00a0 I was not generally the social type except with other wolves, but that night I even spoke to field mice!\u00a0 None of them knew much of witches or magic, though.\u00a0 Nor did the badgers, snakes, or owls.\u00a0 The lack of knowledge from the owls surprised me the most, for weren\u2019t they supposed to be wise?<\/p>\n
I even tried to question a rabbit, but it ran away before I was able to form a proper greeting.\u00a0 Sure I usually ate rabbits, but this time I\u2019d only wanted to talk.\u00a0 Rather than lose the rest of the dignity I had left, I let it escape.\u00a0 I found a fruit bat to chat with instead.\u00a0 I need not have bothered, for the silly thing knew nothing.<\/p>\n
I was about to give up when a voice from behind me, along with a crackling of the underbrush caused me to start.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it witches you\u2019re wanting to know of?\u201d<\/p>\n
The fox was standing just behind me, his sharp face pointing up at the moon who had only then made up her mind to rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know of them?\u201d<\/p>\n
The fox nodded wisely.\u00a0 We stood there in silence for several minutes after that.\u00a0 I was waiting for him to go on, and wondering why he\u2019d not done so.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d he asked impatiently when he at last spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell what,\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n
I was tired and grumpy.\u00a0 If this fox had some information for me, all I wanted was for him to be out with it.\u00a0 That didn\u2019t seem like too much to ask after the day I\u2019d had.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell what did you want to know about witches and magic,\u201d he asked peevishly.<\/p>\n
His tone made me give a silent snarl of annoyance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to know what a witch can do to an animal with her magic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh!\u201d<\/p>\n
He licked his whiskers slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019ve gone and gotten the attention of one of the witches what lives round these parts!\u00a0 My, my.\u00a0 What a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust answer my question,\u201d I growled.<\/p>\n
He stared at me in shock as if I\u2019d offended him.\u00a0 I let out a heavy sigh of pure exasperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease?\u201d<\/p>\n
The red fox waved his bushy tale in the air and gave me a sly grin.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u00a0 That was all I wanted.\u00a0 A fox does have a right to a bit of politeness, after all.\u00a0 Just because you are a big bad wolf doesn\u2019t mean that you shouldn\u2019t be nice when seeking information.\u00a0 So what has the witch done to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I told him my story of woe.\u00a0 He listened intently without interrupting.\u00a0 When I\u2019d finished, he stared off thoughtfully into space for a bit before speaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cSounds like you\u2019re in a bit of a bind, my friend.\u00a0 All I know of witches only affirms that.\u00a0 I shall still share it with you nonetheless as you did request it of me.\u00a0 Witches can even do more than what you\u2019ve just spoken of.\u00a0 They can go so far as to turn a person into an animal, or an animal into a person.\u00a0 They can turn an animal or person to stone as well, or even into some silly human object that they can use for mundane chores.\u00a0 So what I\u2019m saying is that you\u2019re lucky to have gotten away with your natural form.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that is only so I can kill people for her,\u201d I howled in dismay.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would seem so,\u201d the fox agreed regretfully.<\/p>\n
I thanked him then, and slunk away among the trees.\u00a0 There was nothing else to say on the matter, after all.\u00a0 I was done for.<\/p>\n
I spent the next month trying to work up the nerve to look for a human to kill for the wicked witch.\u00a0 I just couldn\u2019t make myself do it no matter how hard I tried.\u00a0 From time to time a traveler would pass by my den, and I\u2019d consider attempting my first human kill.\u00a0 I\u2019d poke my head out, and sniff the air.\u00a0 The smell of human would hit my nose, but rather than wetting my apatite, it would cause me to begin shaking with fear.\u00a0 The humans were always on horses, so would be difficult to catch anyway, I told myself.\u00a0 That was why I\u2019d not bothered.\u00a0 It had nothing to do with the fact that they may have something sharp with which to kill me.<\/p>\n
On the last day of the month, I noticed that I was beginning to feel weak.\u00a0 I\u2019d killed no human, after all.\u00a0 The witch had promised that ordinary meat would no longer sustain me if I did not do so.\u00a0 I did not want to die!\u00a0 This was the most unfair thing that could ever happen to any wolf!\u00a0 It was then that my upset and cowed terror turned to rage.\u00a0 I had not done anything to deserve this.\u00a0 If the witch wanted someone to die, someone would die!\u00a0 Someone would die who lived all alone in the forest.\u00a0 Her curse had stated quite clearly that my victim had to be alone.\u00a0 As my desperate plan began to form, I felt my mouth spreading into a slow wolfish grin.\u00a0 I would not be bound by her curse if she no longer lived.<\/p>\n
Before that last day, it had never occurred to me that I could kill the very one who caused my torment.\u00a0 The witch had made me so afraid that I\u2019d never once even considered that I could perhaps best her.\u00a0 The thought was extremely liberating!\u00a0 I would trap her with the words of her own curse!\u00a0 I felt as if I were walking on air as I headed through the forest.\u00a0 The witch\u2019s cottage lay on the edge of it above the hill where her dratted sheep grazed.\u00a0 Those sheep were the root of all my troubles, so I ignored them as I passed by.<\/p>\n
When I reached the little wooden door of the witch\u2019s cottage, I raked it with my claws to let her know that I\u2019d arrived.\u00a0 Though I was happy I\u2019d formed at least some sort of plan to attempt to save myself from her clutches I was still afraid.\u00a0 She did have magic, after all.\u00a0 What if she could use it to read my mind.\u00a0 If so, she\u2019d know just what I was up to.\u00a0 I had to try, though.\u00a0 There was nothing else for it.\u00a0 No wolf was meant to be a slave to a human.\u00a0 Not even a witch.<\/p>\n
Against all my instincts of rage and terror, I forced myself to remain calm when she opened the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d she demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you have for me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She reached down and gave my ear a sharp tug.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet in here, then.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knew that I had to act before I lost my nerve or before she placed another paralyzing spell upon me.\u00a0 With a snarl of rage I sprang.\u00a0 The momentum toppled her back onto the wooden floor just inside the cottage.\u00a0 She was surprised!\u00a0 She\u2019d not expected me to be smart enough to fight back.\u00a0 Somehow that knowledge only served to feed my anger.\u00a0 I tore out her throat in a matter of\u00a0 seconds.\u00a0 Before I could stop myself, I\u2019d eaten the old hag right up.\u00a0 The curse she\u2019d placed on me had ensured that I\u2019d be craving human flesh, after all.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t really like the taste of it, dry and tough as it was.\u00a0 That being said, I did\u00a0 not plan to dine on it ever again.<\/p>\n
As soon as I was done, I backed away from the spot where she\u2019d lain.\u00a0 It was over!\u00a0 I\u2019d won!\u00a0 If I\u2019d had my way I\u2019d have run away then and there.\u00a0 Yes I could\u2019ve feasted on sheep, or taken a rest on the soft wool rug that lay neatly in front of the hearth, but I just wanted out of there.\u00a0 My whole body was shaking like a leaf from the stress of it all, though, and I couldn\u2019t go more than a few steps without stumbling to a stop.\u00a0 I\u2019d almost made it to the door when the smell of an approaching female human brought me up short.\u00a0 My nose told me quite clearly that she was headed directly in the direction of the witch\u2019s cottage.\u00a0 Growling with frustration, I backed inside, pushing the door shut with my muzzle.\u00a0 Who ever the female was, she\u2019d surely leave when the old witch did not seem to be at home.\u00a0 Then I\u2019d be free to go on my way.\u00a0 The smell of human became stronger as the sound of small feet grew near.\u00a0 When the loud bang came on the door, I nearly jumped out of my skin.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother!\u00a0 It is me.\u00a0 I\u2019ve come to visit you!\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a basket of goodies that I know shall make you feel better!\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not move.\u00a0 After a few moments, she banged on the door again, harder this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother!\u00a0 I know you\u2019re feeling sickly, but that is why I\u2019ve come to take care of you.\u00a0 Please let me in.\u201d<\/p>\n
What if she just pushed open the door?\u00a0 She\u2019d find me and there would be all sorts of trouble.\u00a0 An idea came to me, I\u2019m sure out of pure desperation.\u00a0 As I\u2019d been given the power of human words, I may as well use them for my benefit, I thought.<\/p>\n
Trying my best to sound like thee old witch I said, \u201cGo away!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother!\u00a0 It is Red Riding Hood!\u00a0 Let me in or I\u2019ll open the door myself.\u00a0 I\u2019m worried about you!\u201d<\/p>\n
It was panic that caused me to dawn the old cloth garment that I\u2019d torn from the witch\u2019s body before eating her up. Then I scrambled up onto the large bed that stood in the corner of the room.\u00a0 If the girl was going to come in, perhaps she\u2019d just leave her goodies and get out if I pretended to be the old witch.\u00a0 What were goodies, anyway, I wondered as I hid myself as best I could under the long heavy bits of cloth that covered the soft bed.\u00a0 Under them, my wolf\u2019s body was not as visible.\u00a0 Before I could bade the Red Riding Hood to come in, she opened the door firmly and came inside.<\/p>\n
She was a girl, just out of childhood from what I could tell.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh Grandmother,\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look awful!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am just sick, child,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can leave the goodies and go home so that you do not become sick as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
I really wanted her to get out.\u00a0 It was hard to make my voice sound as frog like as the old witch\u2019s had.\u00a0 If the girl did not believe me, I may have to kill her.\u00a0 I\u2019d had enough killing and upset for one day so really did not want to do that if I didn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n
Her next words changed my mind on that, however.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh Grandmother!\u00a0 Did you take too many lives at once again?\u00a0 How many times have I told you about that?\u00a0 We witches have to take it slow at your age.\u201d<\/p>\n
So she was a witch as well!\u00a0 I should\u2019ve known!\u00a0 I made myself sigh.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are right, of course!\u00a0 Come closer, Child.\u00a0 My old eyes can hardly see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019d kill her just like I\u2019d killed her grandmother, I vowed.\u00a0 Only I\u2019d not eat the girl.\u00a0 There was no reason to put food into my belly that tasted as bad as the meat of humans did.\u00a0 She came closer, but not close enough for me to spring.\u00a0 I would not risk an attack unless I was sure that I could pull it off in one jump.\u00a0 If she had time to use her magic, I was done for, and I knew it.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother!\u00a0 What big eyes you have.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.\u00a0 How I did hate evil witches!\u00a0 It would be good to rid the world of yet another one.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe better to see you with, my dear.\u201d<\/p>\n
She came yet another step closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Grandmother!\u00a0 What big ears you have!\u201d<\/p>\n
My smile grew wider.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh the better to hear your sweet voice, my dear child!\u201d<\/p>\n
She came two steps closer.\u00a0 Those two steps brought her right up to the bed and just within my reach.<\/p>\n
In that moment, my nose distracted me.\u00a0 It told me that someone else was coming.\u00a0 Why did they all have to come at once?\u00a0 I just wanted to get out of\u00a0 there, but people kept showing up!<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandmother!\u00a0 What big teeth you have!\u00a0 What ever did you do to yourself this time?\u201d<\/p>\n
The young witch\u2019s eyes were now wide with fear.\u00a0 I was glad of it.\u00a0 She should be afraid.\u00a0 After all, she\u2019d surely made enough of her own kind very afraid before taking their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the better to eat you with\u00a0 my dear child,\u201d I howled.\u00a0 By that time it was no longer important to me to pretend to sound like the\u00a0 froggish old witch.\u00a0 I leapt at the girl who called herself Red Riding Hood just as the door to the small cottage burst open.\u00a0 I tore open her throat as a shadow fell over the bed.\u00a0 It seemed there would be no time for me to get away, I thought tiredly.\u00a0 As soon as I was sure that the girl witch was dead, I turned to face a man whose heavy sharp killing instrument was coming right for me!\u00a0 I did not have time to move.\u00a0 The blow came, and the pain was the last thing I knew.<\/p>\n
When I woke, the sharp pointed face of the red fox who had told\u00a0 me what he knew of witches was the first thing I saw.\u00a0 The first thing I felt was a painful tugging at the skin of my belly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you go and eat her,\u201d the fox demanded.<\/p>\n
Before my groggy mind could form an answer, he was speaking once more.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friend had to knock you out so he could split your belly open and get her out of you.\u00a0 If not, you\u2019d never have gotten rid of the curse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The knowledge that my belly had just been split open cleared my head quite quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat,\u201d I yelped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
The fox shook his head and sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat ever got into you to make you eat the witch?\u201d<\/p>\n
As usual, he did not give me time to answer before going on.\u00a0 I wished he\u2019d stop asking questions if he did not wish to know the answers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat brilliant idea just ensured that the curse would never be broken.\u00a0 You\u2019d taken her magic into yourself, you see.\u00a0 To be rid of a curse or dark spell, you must be fully rid of the magic that caused it.\u00a0 When the witch dies, that problem is usually solved for anyone who was so cursed.\u00a0 That is, of course, as long as the silly fool doesn\u2019t decide to eat her.\u00a0 Your doing so just kept her magic within you.\u00a0 Therefore the spell could not be broken.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a moment to process all that before speaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m free now?\u201d<\/p>\n
The fox nodded gravely.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to my wizard friend there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded in the direction of my belly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t look now,\u201d he advised dryly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s still stitching you up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow,\u201d I asked dumbly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith something called a needle.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gave an exasperated sigh.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u00a0 How did you know I\u2019d need help?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have dreams in which I\u2019m shown things that shall be,\u201d the fox said mysteriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the man wizard,\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
The fox shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t have dreams.\u00a0 He needs me to tell him what is going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The smug tone in which he spoke made me sigh and roll my eyes.\u00a0 My belly hurt a bit, and I didn\u2019t have the strength to try to fully understand what he was saying.\u00a0 Dreams that told of what was to come sounded much too strange for me to get my tired mind around just then.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The fox\u2019s thoughtful stare filled me with apprehension.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat,\u201d I growled.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t at all like the thoughtful way he was looking at me.\u00a0 I\u2019d had about enough for one day.<\/p>\n
He snickered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is only that you look quite silly in that old witch\u2019s night-dress!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Once upon a time, I was hunting sheep.\u00a0 It was a dark and stormy night!\u00a0 Okay, actually it was a very nice sunny summer day.\u00a0 It is just that bad things aren\u2019t supposed to happen on very nice sunny summer days.\u00a0 That is the way it should be anyway.\u00a0 On the particular pleasant day of which I\u2019m speaking I was having myself a sheep lunch.\u00a0 It was so yummy!\u00a0 Even after all it cost me I still remember that succulent meat with fondness.\u00a0 Well fed and well cared for animals taste much better than those who are not. For the past week or so before I had the heavenly lunch that turned my life up-side-down, I\u2019d only been able to find underfed rabbits to fill my belly.\u00a0 One of the main laws of hunting is that the prey must be as well fed as the predator if the meal is to be healthy and satisfying.\u00a0 By the time I came upon the small flock of sheep I was more than ready for some decent food. They were grazing on a little hill with no one watching them.\u00a0 The kill promised to be so easy.\u00a0 There were no sheep dogs to bark and alert anyone that there was danger.\u00a0 There were no young men with hooked sticks to attempt to drive me away from my feast.\u00a0 Of course when I approached, the flock scattered like the frightened sheep they were.\u00a0 My heart raced with excitement, for these sheep were also deliciously fat.\u00a0 My eagerly open mouth dripped with hunger driven drewel as I leapt upon the nearest one.\u00a0 My jaws eagerly snapped at the struggling creature\u2019s throat to still its thrashing so that my dining could commence. The poor thing died fast enough, kindly allowing me to have my meal in peace.\u00a0 Did I say yet how good it was?\u00a0 Oh it was so good\u2026So very bloody yummy!\u00a0 I ate and ate, stuffing myself until I could hardly move.\u00a0 When I at last turned away from my kill, there was nothing left of it but a pile of hide and bones.\u00a0 Running my tongue over my blood reddened chops, I gave a belch of the purest satisfaction.\u00a0 So heavy and fully sated was I with my kill that I\u2019d have taken a nap then and there if I didn\u2019t fear remaining too long in the territory of men. Not until I rose to depart did I see the old witch.\u00a0 She was almost on top of me!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t understand how I\u2019d missed seeing her before.\u00a0 Perhaps I\u2019d been too engrossed in my kill, but I should\u2019ve at least smelled her scent on the wind or heard her footsteps nearing my feeding ground. Before I could even think of fleeing, she\u2019d knelt down and placed her hand right on my head!\u00a0 I opened my mouth to snarl, but no sound came out.\u00a0 I tried turning to take a chunk out of her thin shriveled arm, but I was unable to move!\u00a0 It was then that I realized that she was a witch.\u00a0 She must have used her magic to mask her scent and the sound of her approach.\u00a0 So she was not only a witch.\u00a0 She was a very strong witch.\u00a0 I tried once more to sink my teeth into her arm, but nothing had changed.\u00a0 I still could not move.\u00a0 It was almost as if I was frozen in place.\u00a0 I could open and shut my mouth, but not turn my head.\u00a0 I could move my eyes, but not very far for it was hard to look away from her ugly ancient face.\u00a0 Like all old witches, she had a long pointed wart covered nose along with an equally long and sagging chin to match.\u00a0 Her matted hair scraggled about her shoulders, and seemed to twitch in the wind with a life of its own.\u00a0 To my mind, she was the ugliest witch there was. As I was held immobile, she stared coldly into my yellow eyes with her nearsighted green ones. \u201cI have laid a spell on you so that you are able to understand my words, wolf.\u201d Her voice was raspy and put me in mind of a frog. \u201cI wish for you to fully comprehend the curse I\u2019m about to place upon you, after all.\u201d It had worked!\u00a0 I could understand her!\u00a0 That was scary!\u00a0\u00a0 If I\u2019d not been bound by her magic, I\u2019d have jumped into the air from the startlement of the experience. I\u2019d never understood the words of humans before.\u00a0 The few times that I\u2019d come close enough to hear them at all, I\u2019d only gleaned meaning from the tones in which they spoke.\u00a0 Now I was understanding the old witch as clearly as I\u2019d understand a fellow wolf.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t like it.\u00a0 It just felt wrong.\u00a0 There was no time to think on that for long, though, for she spoke on. \u201cYou have dared to fill your greedy belly on the flock of a witch, foolish wolf!\u00a0 For that your hunger will only be fully satisfied when you feast upon human flesh.\u00a0 If you do not, no other meat shall satisfy you.\u00a0 And to make matters worse, if you do not kill a human at least once a month, you shall starve to death in a matter of hours.\u00a0 Your body will not recognize anything you put into it as being food unless you have dined on human flesh monthly.\u201d My eyes widened in horror.\u00a0 That was dangerous!\u00a0 A wolf would only do such a thing in times of dire starvation if at all.\u00a0 Men had tricky ways of killing wolves that another beast would not. The old hag had not missed my change of expression.\u00a0 It made her cackle with delight. \u201cI enjoy killing humans, you see.\u00a0 Each human death that I cause adds to my power.\u00a0 As you have offended me, I find it only fitting for you to be an instrument of my will in this matter.\u00a0 It is the least you owe me, do you not think?\u201d Was she insane?\u00a0 It had only been one lousy sheep!\u00a0 I tried to whine my displeasure, but to my horror words came from my mouth instead. \u201cI don\u2019t want to!\u201d Somehow the words still came out in the tone of a plaintive whine which did gratify me somewhat. She laughed.\u00a0 The sound was harsh yet high at the same time.\u00a0 It grated on my sensitive ears causing them to twitch. \u201cThat is just too bad, for you\u2019ve no choice!\u201d As she spoke those words, she gave me a hard smack on the head.\u00a0 Oh how I wanted to tear her arm off then and there!\u00a0 As I still could not move, that wasn\u2019t happening, though.\u00a0 While she spoke on, I could only listen. \u201cDon\u2019t you want to hear the rest of the curse,\u201d she asked sweetly. Her voice was so awful that the new sugary tone only made it sound even more scary.\u00a0 I had no idea what to answer to that question, so luckily, she left me no time to do so. \u201cYou shall only be able to hunt humans who are alone.\u00a0 There can be no other human near by.\u00a0 That will likely keep you safe from being killed so long as you\u2019re not stupid enough to attempt to take down a hunter.\u00a0 You do know what a hunter is do you not?\u201d She tilted her head to the side to peer demandingly down into my face. I didn\u2019t answer which only won me another hard smack to the head.\u00a0 It was then that I decided that answering her right away was the best course of action.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t as if I\u2019d ever be able to kill her after all. \u201cYes,\u201d I growled out angrily. \u201cHunters carry things with them that they use to kill animals.\u201d \u201cThat is right,\u201d she crooned. Her sweet tone was really making me sick.\u00a0 I would not throw up the sheep I\u2019d so recently dined upon, however.\u00a0 I\u2019d paid for that sheep after all.\u00a0\u00a0 My belly was going to keep it. \u201cIs that all,\u201d I demanded. \u201cI do think so,\u201d she said thoughtfully. \u201cUnless you want some more, that is.\u201d Her mad shriek of laughter made me shiver from head to toe.\u00a0 I most certainly did not want anymore cursing. \u201cNo,\u201d I told her quickly. \u201cI think I\u2019ve got all I can stand, thanks.\u201d Then as another thought struck me, I dared to speak again. \u201cWhy have you given me the power to speak the tongue of humans?\u201d \u201cYou are able to speak because I\u2019ve linked you to myself magically,\u201d she told me smugly. \u201cI normally would not consider making a lowly wolf my pet, but as you\u2019ve gone and offended me, the honor is yours.\u201d After another rough smack on my head, she stood abruptly. \u201dYou are free to go now.\u00a0 After each kill, you shall be magically compelled to return here so that I may accept the power you\u2019ve gained for me.\u201d accept?\u00a0 I was astonished at her choice of words.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t like I was giving her a gift because I wanted her to have it!\u00a0 If she\u2019d been a normal witch rather than the most evil one in the entire world, I may have been able to make amends for eating her sheep.\u00a0 From what little I knew in listening to the forest gossip of other animals, most witches had cats.\u00a0 Cats tended to bring their human masters gifts of dead rats or mice.\u00a0 If I\u2019d eaten one of the sheep of an ordinary witch, I could\u2019ve perhaps apologized by bringing her a whole bunch of dead rodents.\u00a0 That would never work with my witch, though.\u00a0 She\u2019d likely never had a cat in her life.\u00a0 If she had, she\u2019d probably killed it. As these thoughts were flitting through my mind, the evil hag was walking away.\u00a0 I found then that I could move once more.\u00a0 Springing to my feet, I dashed away faster than I\u2019d ever run before.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t stop until I was quite far away.\u00a0 My sides were heaving with the effort of my exertions, and my full belly hurt.\u00a0 Flopping down on a bed of thick moss under a tall oak, I set to work at once feeling quite sorry for myself.\u00a0 What had I ever done to deserve this, I wondered dismally.\u00a0 So I\u2019d eaten a sheep.\u00a0 So what.\u00a0 A wolf had to eat, didn\u2019t he?\u00a0 Somehow and in spite of my worry and fear, I managed to fall asleep.\u00a0 My belly was stuffed, after all.\u00a0 Not to mention I\u2019d just run a long way quite fast. When I woke, the sun had set and evening had fallen over the forest.\u00a0 For a moment, I just lay there on the moss wondering why I felt so very depressed and dejected.\u00a0 Then it all came back to me.\u00a0 Looking up through the canopy of branches overhead, my eyes sought the moon.\u00a0 It had not risen yet, but I let out a mournful howl anyway.\u00a0 That one felt so good that I did it again and again.\u00a0 I cried out my pain to the sky until my throat was raw.\u00a0 That witch had me trapped quite soundly, and I knew it. When I finally dragged myself from the bed of moss, it was to wander about the forest in search of other animals.\u00a0 Anyone who knew a bit about witches or magic would do.\u00a0 I was not generally the social type except with other wolves, but that night I even spoke to field mice!\u00a0 None of them knew much of witches or magic, though.\u00a0 Nor did the badgers, snakes, or owls.\u00a0 The lack of knowledge from the owls surprised me the most, for weren\u2019t they supposed to be wise? I even tried to question a rabbit, but it ran away before I was able to form a proper greeting.\u00a0 Sure I usually ate rabbits, but this time I\u2019d only wanted to talk.\u00a0 Rather than lose the rest of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}