Little Wolf, Big Ordeal CH. 1
This is the story of a clumsy little wolf, who is the runt of a large wolf family. Unable to decide what to make of their son, his parents leave him behind in the cold winter forest. Only if he manages to survive and prove himself a big bad wolf, is he allowed to return. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but will the little wolf be able to face this titanic ordeal?
Author's note: Enjoying the story so far? New chapters will be released weekly on Sundays, so stay tuned!
Once upon a time, there was a little grey wolf living in the forest. Of course he did not live there all by himself, because he was much too young to be able to survive on his own. He had a large family with a father, a mother, and seven siblings. Although his father and mother were capable hunters, and always brought enough prey to feed their pups, our little wolf never felt at ease. Because he was the runt of the family, he was constantly picked on by his siblings in every possible way. Oftentimes his brothers and sisters would challenge him to a footrace, a game of wrestling, or a tracking contest. They did that when they were bored and wanted a good laugh, because the wolf pups knew he would always lose in the most spectacular way imaginable.
Indeed, the little wolf always finished last, was always knocked to the ground before he could make a stand, and always got lost in the haze of mixed scents. Despite his shortcomings, he accepted every single challenge, because he did not want to show weakness in front of his parents.
But his parents were not blind. One snowy day, after witnessing him make a particularly clumsy fall from a slippery tree stump, they took him apart and had a hard talk.
'Son, you can't go on like this any longer,' said his father, frowning as he spoke. 'You've got to show some skills sometime soon, or else you will never become a big bad wolf.'
'But... I'm doing the best I can, and I always try really hard.' stammered the little wolf.
His mother shook her head. 'But not hard enough, unfortunately.' She paused for a moment, then said, 'Your father and I have been talking, and honestly, we don't know what to do with you.'
'Just say it already or I'll say it!' his father snarled. 'Son, we're leaving you behind. It's the perfect way for you to prove once and for all that you're a strong, worthy, big bad wolf. Once you've become just that, you can be part of our family again--if you can sniff us out, that is.'
At this point, the siblings noticed something serious was going on, and moved in to investigate. Upon catching their father's words, they became excited and started chattering loudly.
'Being all alone in the forest? There's no way he can do that,' said one of the pups.
'Ha! He wouldn't survive a week,' said another.
'I give him five days.'
'Four!'
'Of course not! By day three he'll have enough of it all.'
The little wolf ignored them all. He hung his head low, completely taken aback by this sudden decision. He knew the forest was a dangerous place, and if he weren't able to take care of himself, he could easily perish before spring arrived. This year's harsh winter did not make the ordeal any easier. Couldn't his parents have waited until summer, when prey was plentiful and the days were pleasant and warm?
Unfortunately, there was no use in trying to persuade them. His siblings were already getting ready to leave. A few minutes later, all that remained were their fading scents between the trees. Snowfall came. Their tracks disappeared. The little wolf was alone.