It’s easy to say the wolf has been vilified in literature and myth, and to some degree, it is true. We can point to the Big Bad Wolf or King Lycaon or Fenrir; countless tales of vicious wolves stalking humans throughout the pages of history. But not every story paints this dire image of the wolf – and in many cases, it’s not nearly as simple as “good” or “evil.”
I love to read Aesop’s Fables because there are an abundance of wolves who roam it’s stories.* For the most part, Canis lupus’ reputation doesn’t fare well in the fables. Let’s not forget the ungrateful wolf who dupes a crane into helping him out with no reward (The Wolf and the Crane) or the sheep that gets wise to an injured wolf’s schemes (The Wolf and the Sheep).
But it’s not all black and white. One story in particular illustrates this: The Wolf and the Boy. A playful wolf comes across a boy who is hiding. “Aha, I’ve found you…” the wolf says, “…but if you can say three things to me, the truth of which cannot be disputed, I will spare your life.” The boy thinks, and responds, “First, it is a pity you saw me; secondly, I was a fool to let myself be seen; and thirdly, we all hate wolves because they are always making unprovoked attacks upon our flocks.” The wolf replies, “Well, what you say is true enough from your point of view; so you may go.”
At first, I didn’t think much of the story. But I found myself coming back to it and reading it again and again. The wolf can’t be called dishonest; he sticks to his word. And, it puts truth in a different perspective, unlike many of the other fables. The wolf’s reply asks, “Is a human truth a wolf truth”?
Perhaps this fable shows us the wisdom of the wolf. He thinks beyond himself – accepting the boy’s biased truths. It’s obvious the wolf doesn’t agree that his kind is “always making unprovoked attacks” on the humans’ flocks of sheep, yet he lets the boy go. Can we really call the wolf an antagonist in this story?
This fable doesn’t portray wolves in a positive light; but it’s not black and white.
It’s time to take a closer look at the wolf stories and myths that populate human history. It is another path towards understanding and coexisting with wolves. We can’t simply denounce stories that portray the wolf as vicious and devious – we have to tell them, explore them, and sometimes, reinterpret them. Storytelling is not a static art. Stories change.
*If you don’t have a copy and would like to read the fables, they are all available at Project Gutenburg.