On a warm spring day, a wolf pup crawled out of his mother's den. It was his first time venturing outside, and everything was so big!
Trees loomed overhead. Hawks squawked in the branches. Water roared past in a fast-running river. A bear dug grubs from a log on the other side. What was friend and what was foe?
Overwhelmed, and more than a little scared, the pup took hesitant first steps.
Then he spotted something on a flat boulder by the river. A fish had been thrown clear of the turbulent white water, and it was flopping and thrashing.
This riveted the pup's attention. He didn't need world experience to know a fish was something he could eat. It would be far tastier than the leftovers the adults in the pack gave the pups.
As he inched forward, the fish continued to thrash. Any moment, it might wriggle itself back into the river, never to be seen again.
Sensing this, the pup walked faster. He was about to break into a trot, when a shadow startled him.
Startled, he raced back to the safety of the den. His instincts told him that great birds roamed the skies, and a little wolf pup might make a tasty meal for them.
From the safety of the den entrance, he peered into the blue expanse, but he saw nothing up there but the sun.
And that fish beckoned him.... He could almost taste it. Saliva dampened the fur around his mouth.
The pup strode out, intent on capturing that fish, but the shadow appeared again. Whining, the pup retreated. He paced anxiously at the mouth of the den. He wanted that fish so badly, but was afraid of the risk.
He gathered his courage and decided to dash for it.
The pup charged out of the den, ran across the beach, and pounced.
It was too late. With a flip of its tail, the fish finally launched itself back into the river.
The pup skidded to a stop on top of the boulder and stared forlornly into the water. That was when he noticed the shadow again.
It did not move when he did not move. He took a few steps, and it followed him. It was his own shadow, and it was harmless. Too late, he realized he had let his fear of the world create obstacles where there were none.
Trees loomed overhead. Hawks squawked in the branches. Water roared past in a fast-running river. A bear dug grubs from a log on the other side. What was friend and what was foe?
Overwhelmed, and more than a little scared, the pup took hesitant first steps.
Then he spotted something on a flat boulder by the river. A fish had been thrown clear of the turbulent white water, and it was flopping and thrashing.
This riveted the pup's attention. He didn't need world experience to know a fish was something he could eat. It would be far tastier than the leftovers the adults in the pack gave the pups.
As he inched forward, the fish continued to thrash. Any moment, it might wriggle itself back into the river, never to be seen again.
Sensing this, the pup walked faster. He was about to break into a trot, when a shadow startled him.
Startled, he raced back to the safety of the den. His instincts told him that great birds roamed the skies, and a little wolf pup might make a tasty meal for them.
From the safety of the den entrance, he peered into the blue expanse, but he saw nothing up there but the sun.
And that fish beckoned him.... He could almost taste it. Saliva dampened the fur around his mouth.
The pup strode out, intent on capturing that fish, but the shadow appeared again. Whining, the pup retreated. He paced anxiously at the mouth of the den. He wanted that fish so badly, but was afraid of the risk.
He gathered his courage and decided to dash for it.
The pup charged out of the den, ran across the beach, and pounced.
It was too late. With a flip of its tail, the fish finally launched itself back into the river.
The pup skidded to a stop on top of the boulder and stared forlornly into the water. That was when he noticed the shadow again.
It did not move when he did not move. He took a few steps, and it followed him. It was his own shadow, and it was harmless. Too late, he realized he had let his fear of the world create obstacles where there were none.
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