Night was slowly swallowing the forest. On the damp ground, beneath the gnarled roots of an ancient oak, sat an old man. His breathing was labored, his hands shook from the cold, and despair clouded his eyes. His own children had brought him here and cast him aside like unwanted refuse. They had been waiting for his death for a long time. The house, the land, the money — all of it was meant to be theirs. But the old man stubbornly lived on. Tired of waiting, they decided to force the end: they abandoned him in the wilderness, certain wild beasts would do the rest, and the authorities would dismiss it as a tragic misfortune.

Leaning against the tree, he shivered at every rustle. The wind moaned through the treetops, yet beneath it came another sound — the mournful cry of wolves. His chest tightened. He knew his time was running out. “Lord… is this truly the end?” he whispered, pressing his trembling hands together in prayer.

Then came the crack of a branch. Another. The soft pad of steps drew nearer. He tried to rise, but his frail body would not obey. His wide eyes searched the darkness — and then he saw it: a wolf emerging from the shadows.

Moonlight shimmered across its thick coat, its eyes gleaming like fire. Lips curled, fangs flashing, the beast advanced. “So it has come to this,” the old man thought.

He shut his eyes, bracing for the ripping agony of teeth. But instead… the unthinkable happened. The wolf halted. It stood before him, lowered its head, and released a low, sorrowful howl — as if speaking to him. Bewildered, the man stretched out a trembling hand. The wolf did not retreat. It stood firm, allowing him to stroke its thick, warm fur.

And suddenly, memory returned. Long ago, in his younger years, he had stumbled upon a young wolf ensnared in a poacher’s cruel trap. Without fear, he had pried open the iron jaws and freed the creature. The wolf had fled into the forest without a glance back — yet clearly, it had never forgotten.

Now, this wild predator bent before him not as a threat, but as a friend. The beast crouched low, offering its strength.

Gathering his last reserves of will, the old man clung to the animal’s neck. The wolf rose and carried him into the darkness. Branches snapped beneath its paws, shadows of other creatures stirred in the trees — but none dared to come close.

At last, a glow pierced the night: the lights of a village. Dogs barked, villagers rushed outside, and froze in disbelief — a great wolf was laying an exhausted old man gently at their gates.

They brought him inside, wrapped him in warmth, and gave him shelter. Tears ran down his cheeks — not from fear, but from the bitter truth that a beast of the wild had shown more humanity than his own children.