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Brother Wolf
Wolves are our teachers, it's time we all got back to class..!! ~Wolfwhisper~
Long ago our People grew in number to that where we were was no longer enough. Many young men were sent out from among us to seek a new place where the People might be who-they-were. They searched and they returned... Each with a place selected... Each determined his place was the best. And so it was that the People had a decision to make, which of the many was most appropriate. Now, at that time, there was one among the People to whom Wolf was brother. He was so much Wolf's brother that he would sing their song to them and they would answer him. He was so much Wolf's brother that their young would sometimes follow him through the forest and it seemed they meant to learn from him. So it was, at this time that the People gave That One a special name. They called him Wolf's Brother, and if any sought to learn about Wolf, if any were curious or wanted to learn to sing Wolf's song, they would sit beside him and describe their curiousity hoping for a reply. As I have said, the People sought a new place in the forest. They listened closely to each of the young men as they spoke of hills and trees, of clearings and running water, of deer and squirrel and berries. They listened to hear which place might be drier in rain, more protected in winter, and where our Three Sisters, Corn, Beans and Squash, might find a place to their liking. They listened and they chose. Before they chose, they listened to each young man. Before they chose, they listened to each among them. He who understood the flow of the waters. She who understood Long House construction. He who understood the storms of winter. She who understood Three Sisters. To each of these they listened until they reached an agreement, and the Eldest among them finally rose and said: "So be it...for so it is." "But wait", someone cautioned..."Where is Wolf's Brother? Who, then, speaks for Wolf?" But the people were decided, and their mind was firm; and the first people were sent to choose a site for the first Long House, to clear a space for our Three Sisters, to mold the land so that water would run away from our dwelling so that all would be secure within. And when Wolf's Brother returned, he asked about the New Place and said at once that we must choose another. "You have choosen the Center Place for a great community of Wolf." But we answered him that many had already gone and that it could not wisely be changed and that surely Wolf could make way for us as we sometimes make way for Wolf. But Wolf's Brother counseled..."I think that you will find that it is too small a place for both and that it will require more work then...than change would presently require." But the people closed their ears and would not reconsider. when the New Place was ready, all the People rose up as one and took those things they found of value and looked at last upon their new home. Now consider how it was for them. This New Place had cool summers and winter protection and fast-moving streams and forests around us filled with deer and squirrel. There was room even for our Three Beloved Sisters. And the People saw that this was good and did not see Wolf watching from the shadows! But as time passed, they began to see...for someone would bring deer or squirrel and hang him from a tree and go for something to contain the meat, but would return to find nothing hanging from the tree and Wolf beyond. At first this seemed to us an appropriate exchange...some food for a place to live. But it soon became apparent that it was more than this...for Wolf would sometimes walk between the dwellings that we had fashioned for ourselves and the women grew concerned for the safety of the little ones. Thinking of this they devised for awhile an agreement with Wolf whereby the women would gather together at the edge of our village and put out food for Wolf and his brothers. But it was soon apparent that this meant to much food and also Wolf grew bolder, coming in to look for food so that it was worse than before. We had no wish to tame Wolf. And so hearing the wailing of the women the men devised a system whereby some ones among them were always alert to drive off Wolf. And Wolf was soon his old untamed self. But they soon discovered that this required so much energy that there was little left for winter preparations and the Long Cold began to look longer and colder with each passing day. Then the men counseled together to choose a different course. They saw that neither providing Wolf with food nor driving him off gave the People a life that was pleasing. They saw that Wolf and the People could not live comfortably together in such a small space. They saw that it was possible to hunt down this Wolf People until they were no more. But they also saw that this would require much energy over many years. They saw, too, that such a task would change the People. They would become Wolf Killers. A people who took life only to sustain their own would become a People who took life rather than move a little. It did not seem to them that they wanted to become such a People. At last one of the Eldest of the People spoke what was in every mind: "It would seem that Wolf's Brother's vision was sharper than our own. To live here indeed requires more work now than change would have made necessary." Now this would be a simple telling of a people who decided to move once winter was past except that from this people learned a great lesson. It is a lesson we have never forgotten. For at the end of their Council, one of the Eldest rose again and said: "Let us learn from this so that not again need the People build only to move. Let us not again think we will gain energy only to lose more than we gain. We have learned to choose a place where winter storms are less rather than rebuild. We have learned to choose a place where water does not stand rather than sustain sickness. Let us now learn to consider Wolf!" And so it was that the people devised among themselves a way of asking each other questions whenever a decision was to be made on a New Place or a New Way. We sought to perceive the flow of energy through each new possibility and how much was enough and how much was too much. Until at last someone would rise and ask the old, old question to remind us of things we do not yet see clearly enough to remember... "Tell me now my brother's... Tell me now my sister's... Who speaks for Wolf?"
