Bedtime - A Short Story Anthology

The Wolf in the Woods

The Wolf in the Woods

By GlennKoerner

Mrs. Mouse hurried down the dirt pathway, holding one paw on her hat to keep it in place atop her head. She'd spent far too much time at the market while shopping for seeds, and it was getting dark. It wouldn't be too much longer before the sun would vanish, taking the warm and comforting light of the day with it. All kinds of things came out in the woods at night, and it wouldn't be safe for her, but home was on the far side of the forest.

Her tail whipped anxiously behind her, and her whiskers twitched as she sniffed the air. It still seemed alright, but the shadows were growing longer by the second, swallowing the forest in darkness a little bit at a time. As she continued on at a brisk pace, her mind considered what she might encounter on the way.

Snakes and giant spiders moved silently through the dark places of the forest. She'd often heard wolves howling at the moon. But, the most dangerous foes were the birds. Falcons, hawks, and eagles flew on silent wings, descending from above to capture their prey in long talons.

The thought of a bird swooping down on her, made her look toward the darkening sky. She caught sight of something, a shadow, but it grew larger by the moment until she realized it wasn't growing but drawing closer. Mrs. Mouse barely had time to throw herself off the dirt road and into a small bush before the hawk passed through the place where she'd been, its talons snapping closed and catching only the air.

The leaves of the bush were sharp and painfully poked through her green jacket and gray fur, but she held perfectly still, watching from her place of concealment as the hawk circled around and landed only a short distance away. The hawk turned its head one way and then the other, its eyes searching for the meal that escaped. Mrs. Mouse unknowingly held her breath and hoped the quivering of her whiskers wouldn't give her away.

The hawk turned its black eyes in her direction, staring intensely. It remained motionless, still as a statue, for several minutes. Mrs. Mouse only breathed when she had to because she was so afraid the hawk knew she was there. The hawk took a step toward the bush, its wings spreading out to either side while its head lowered slightly. The hawk reared back as if ready to launch itself toward the bush where Mrs. Mouse was hiding, but something caused it to stop.

The noise caught the attention of Mrs. Mouse as well for it was a loud and deep growl. She knew it was a bad idea to move, but she couldn't help herself and looked toward where she'd heard the noise. In the dim light of late evening, the wolf was only a pair of glowing eyes in a mass of bristling black fur. Gleaming white teeth became visible as it snarled, snapping its jaws twice.

The hawk, having no desire to battle the wolf, flapped its wings frantically and took to the sky. The wolf, padded over softly to where the hawk had been standing, claiming the space and looking up to be certain the bird was gone and not coming back. Mrs. Mouse froze when the gaze of the wolf shifted to look in her direction.

"Mrs. Mouse," the wolf said. "It's alright to come out."

"Lobo," Mrs. Mouse said in relief as she recognized her old friend. "I'm sorry I didn't know it was you in the dark."

Mrs. Mouse came out of her hiding place, brushing the dirt off her jacket and inspecting the bag she carried to be sure none of her seeds had spilled out during her dive into the bush.

"Mr. Badger told me you'd left the market, and I came to see if I could be of help," Lobo explained. "I hope I didn't scare you."

"Perhaps a little," Mrs. Mouse admitted.

"Can I make it up to you with a ride home?" Lobo inquired.

"Oh, that would be lovely," Mrs. Mouse agreed happily.

Lobo knelt down in the dirt and allowed Mrs. Mouse to climb up on his back. She took a firm hold of the fur at the back of his neck to steady herself.

"Ready?" Lobo asked, and when Mrs. Mouse said she was, he started off at an easy trot so as to not disturb his passenger.3

The sky was sparkling with stars by the time Lobo arrived at the small home of Mrs. Mouse. Wedged under a flat stone, a small wooden door guarded the entrance to the house. Through the round window in the door, flickering golden light could be seen, and a thin ribbon of smoke trailed from the chimney at the back of the house.

"Thank you for the ride," Mrs. Mouse commented as Lobo laid down to allow her to disembark. She slid off his back, gently patting his side in gratitude. "I'd invite you to stay for dinner, but I don't have anything you'd want to eat."

"That's quite alright," Lobo accepted with a wag of his tail. "I have to be getting home anyway. The wife will probably be wondering where I've been. A pleasant evening to you, Mrs. Mouse."

"And, to you as well, Lobo," she said in return.

Speeding away, Lobo vanished back into the woods, and Mrs. Mouse opened the door to her home, going inside to prepare the table for dinner.