Half an hour later the Adamiks came to the farm. Izaac hitched the horses up to the wagon and helped the family up. He then sat up at the front and used the reins to make the horses move.
They rode through the paddock and down to a river. Isaac got off first and tied the horses up. Leon and Aleksi put on their bathers and jumped into the water.
The boys splashed around until their mother had set the lunch out onto the mat. They got out of the water and wrapped themselves in towels before sitting down to eat.
The river and the forest were beautiful. The leaves were shades of red and orange. The grass was short and the river bed was mossy. Aleksi counted five types of birds. A hare ran across the bank of the river. Storm ran after it and grabbed it between his paws.
"Leave it Storm! Leave it alone!" Aleksi shouted.
The wolf pup looked over at his master and ran over to him. The hare ran away and dived into its hole.
Leon, Storm and Aleksi played by the river for longer. While their parents and grandparents headed back to the farm house. The brothers and their wolf pup crossed the river, leaping from one rock to the other. Until they got to the forest on the other side. Then they went hunting for bears.
Leon climbed a tree and kept lookout. While his brother found the sharpest rock and a stick and hid in the bushes.
After waiting a long time, a bear finally came plodding through the forest. It scratched its back on the tree bark. Then turned and sniffed, looking for Leon. Storm growled and the bear stood up, pricking its ears.
"Dorwij go! Zanim zaatakuje!" Leon shouted and jumped, landing on the bear.
The beast let out a roar and tried to swat the boy away. Then Storm lunged and grabbed it by the paw. Holding on tight as the beast tried to shake him off.
Leon slid off the bear and grabbed a stick, pointing it towards the creature. The bear shook Storm off and watched the two boys holding the sticks. He then let out a growl and whacked the stick out of Aleksi's hand. Then Storm grabbed onto the bear's scruff with his teeth.
Suddenly there was a loud bang and the bear fled into the woods. Storm fell and stood panting on the ground, shaking himself before turning towards the person who was holding the gun.
"Uncle Tomasz," Aleksi gasped.
"You shouldn't be hunting bears without proper weapons, boys." Their uncle said scoldingly.
"We just wanted to chase it off," said Leon.
"You did well but you could have gotten hurt. The easiest way to chase the bear off is to stand up tall and wave sticks at it. Bears can kill people and domestic animals, so hopefully it doesn't come near this area again, do you understand?" said Tomasz.
"Yes uncle," the boys replied.
"Let's go now then," Tomasz turned and walked back towards the river.
His nephews and Storm trailed behind.
Later when they got to the farm, the boys played with the dogs in the yard. They played until sunset, when their mother and father said it was time to go. So Aleksi and Leon said goodbye before getting into the car and going home.
YOU ARE READING
The Wolf
Historical FictionAleksi is a Polish boy who lives with his parents near his grandfather's farm. He frequently goes on hunting trips with his father and their team of four dogs. Hunting hares and ducks. One day they come across a wolf pup beside a dead she-wolf. Ale...
