I Am Not The Big Bad Wolf

By Kacie Boskey

(illustration by the author)

Most say that wolves are the most cold-hearted animals you can find. I'm sorry to say, that's not true. There are more to us than you can ever realize.

Sure I was hungry. What would you expect? I was kicked out of the pack that I once called my own. I was the Alpha Male, but I was beaten by a competitor. Because with wolves you can only go higher, not lower, I was driven out, badly hurt. I needed something to eat, but alone I was not able to get much more than fish to eat.

I gotten very skinny yet also very muscular. I was still strong. Why? I lived off of water and some fish, and that kept me alive for quite some time. It's known that wolves avoid humans, but hey...how was I supposed to know that those children were humans? A wolf never has seen a baby human before, so I didn't know. I didn't know that they were lost, and they're families were looking for them.

I didn't know.

I'm not the big bad wolf all of you made me out to be. I'm not, honest. That girl with the yellow hair. She seemed like a small appetizer to me. When she called me a dumb wolf, I was hurt. But I didn't show it. But when that Spike dog grabbed me by the tail....I knew.

I was attacking humans. Wolves had vowed never to pray on humans, yet I have broken my vow. The dog was protecting them, even willing to give up his life. I was touched. So I held on....tried to hold on long enough for the dog to climb up. But it was useless.

I fell...and hit the water. I found the dog in the water, stuck, unable to breath. Keeping out of sight I looked up, and saw the children. I almost cried, seeing them cry like that. It was my fault. I knew. My hunger had drove me to insanity, and now I wanted to make up for it. I gently grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck and pulled him up onto a nearby rock. I stared sadly at him.

He looked dead. I looked to the ground, a tear almost falling out of my bright eyes. I perked up my ears as I heard a sound. The bridge was collapsing! I made a dash for it on land, and turned out. Spike was alive! And there was a human with him. I smiled, but careful not to have the dog see me. After what I had done, I wouldn't be surprised that the dog would kill me.

I climbed up to watch all the fuss. I could almost laugh at the sight. The small humans reunited with their pack, or family as humans call it. Those pesky monkeys...going back to their owners. Heh...I could also understand human language, and my emotions were rattled to life when I heard them fuss over their children.

They really had missed their children dearly. And I almost made it never possible. Then a new feeling came over me. I narrowed my eyes at them. It wasn't due to hatred, but jealously. A wolf pack would never act like that to me....now that I'm no longer the Alpha Male. I was no longer welcome in the pack that was miles away from where I am now.

As I watched the humans go, I couldn't hide my pain any longer. I just couldn't! Just because I'm a wolf doesn't mean I'm evil. I feel sorry for having to attack the child humans just to satisfy my hunger. I feel awful. And there was no changing it.

I looked at the waterful, the one that almost killed me and the dog. And the children for that matter. No one wants me around, and I won't live long enough to join a new pack. I walked over to the side of the river. With sadness in my heart, I jumped in. Never struggling, I was pushed roughly among the rocks.

Oh the pain! The pain of the circumstances make me howl in pain. Then I fell down the waterfall and into the water. I never resurfaced. My leg was wedged in a rock there. I struggled to breathe.

But soon..the darkness came over. Peace was soothing my aching body...and I closed my eyes to the eternal darkness. Forever. My last thoughts were 'I am not the big bad wolf'.

The End