Return of the Wolf by Dorothy Patent

Author:Dorothy Patent
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: nature, wolves, wolf, montana, wildlife, children 7 to 12, wolfpack, wolf packs, wolf stories, dorothy hinshaw patent, return of the wolf
Publisher: Dorothy Patent

CHAPTER SEVEN

Growing Up

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Jasper or Sedra often headed out to hunt just as the sun set, when the other parent and the pups were getting settled in the den for the night. The hunter returned in the morning, carrying food in stomach and jaws if the hunt was successful. After the family fed, they all took a midmorning nap.

One morning when everyone had awakened, Jasper and Sedra poked the pups with their noses, pushing them toward one of the trails leading away from the den. The older wolves trotted slowly along the trail with Sedra in the lead. Jasper looked back encouragingly at the pups. Selina trotted straight to the front and walked by Sedra's right shoulder, while Raven settled in between his mother and father. Tundra pranced along behind Sedra, nipping at her heels.

At first, Ebony stood alone, watching her family walk away through the forest. This was something completely new, and she was confused. Ebony whined, then let out a high-pitched baby howl. Jasper stopped and looked back at the unhappy pup, wagging his tail. Then he continued on his way, following the others around a bend in the trail. At the sight of her family disappearing into the forest, Ebony ran to catch up.

Before long, the trail widened into an old logging road and the forest thinned out. The sun shone brightly on the road, and tiny puffs of dust rose up as each wolf paw padded onto the dry surface. The pups had never been so far from the den. With each step forward, they became more wary. Selina tried to walk as close as she could to her mother's side, bumping against her leg awkwardly. Tundra was glancing all around him and sniffing the air carefully, soaking up the new smells. Soon all four pups were whimpering and letting out tiny howls of protest every few steps. They were so nervous that they forgot to watch where their feet were landing, and they staggered from side to side instead of walking in a straight line. But Sedra and Jasper ignored their complaints and trotted slowly down the road, heads low and tails slightly raised. The pups had to learn their way around their territory, and this was the only way.

Sedra turned down a narrow path through the woods. The breeze blew toward them, and soon the pups all had their noses lifted high in the air. They could smell the familiar scent of their den. Now they trotted more confidently along the trail, their eyes darting back and forth as they looked for the big tree that marked the den entrance. Soon they were back home. Jasper and Sedra lay down, but the pups romped excitedly. They chased one another around the tree and back the other way and pounced on the tip of their mother's tail as it gently brushed the ground. Then they settled down for a meal of warm milk before drifting off to sleep.

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As the days passed, Sedra and Jasper took the pups on longer and longer walks, and the youngsters began to learn the way around their territory.

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