During The Funeral, The Wolf Grabbed The Dead Man’s Throat, Then Something Shocking Happened
During the funeral, the wolf grabbed the dead man’s throat. Then, something shocking happened. A bond between people and animals can grow incredibly strong. There are times when they can defy belief. Instinct can go beyond what we can explain and allow things to happen that will take our breath away. That’s what happened in today’s story. We have all the markings of an incredible tale: a wolf that grabbed a man’s throat and something shocking that came from it all.
Alaska is a place that makes homesteading and people who live off-grid close to cities seem like they’re living in luxury, with a lot of modern solutions. Yet, there are many people who love the land and couldn’t imagine living their lives anywhere else. That was the dream of one man, Richard, who made his home in the wilds of Alaska. He lived about a half an hour from the nearest town, if you could even call it a town. It’s more of a settlement where a few people gather to sell their home-grown products and interact. But to buy most supplies, or for any other needs, the people in the area would have to fly out to one of the larger towns much further away.
Richard loved living in the area. He loved watching bears salmon fishing in the rivers and all the wildlife that would move past his cabin. Richard hunted, but only to survive, and he had a deep respect for the creatures in whose land he lived. It’s also a land where many still leave traps out in the open; some even still set traps for bears to use their skin for blankets and their meat for food.
One day, while Richard was out hunting, he heard a strange sound. It sounded like howling and crying. It was clear something was in terrible distress. Richard moved closer, slowly and cautiously. He wanted to help, but an injured animal could be one of the most dangerous. He needed to be really careful. There, under a tree, he was met with a heartbreaking sight: a young wolf puppy caught in a bear trap. Her legs seemed to be broken, and she was in incredible pain. Richard looked round, but the rest of the pack was nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t help her, and it seems they had abandoned her. Richard knew he had to help the little wolf. With a lot of effort, he finally opened the trap and released the wolf.
Instead of running away, it just kept lying there. It was exhausted from the struggle and too tired to move. Richard gave her some water and cared for the injured leg. Then, he hid behind some trees to see if the pack returned, but no one came. After some hours, he knew that he couldn’t leave the injured animal all alone. He then took the little wolf back to his cabin. There, he fed her and checked her leg. He called the little gray wolf Silver Fang and tended to her.
As Silver grew, Richard allowed her to wander the wilderness. She wasn’t a pet, but more of a guest until she was well enough to leave. Silver would go with Richard on the hunt and proved to be a great fishing partner. They formed a bond, but the wild blood that ran in Silver was stronger than the love she had for the man that saved her. When she was finally fully grown, she stayed out longer. Eventually, she would come back home less often, and finally, she didn’t come back at all. The next time that Richard saw her running the wilderness, she had joined a new pack of wolves. She was once again a wild wolf living in the forest.
It was bittersweet for Richard, but every so often, he would see a glimpse of Silver and her family out in the wilderness. There were even little Silvers running around. Later on, it was great to see, but often he wondered if she even remembered him. What would happen if they ever met again, face to face?
It had been a few years, and Richard was still living off the land. It had been a tough season, and there wasn’t a lot of food around. Richard went out exploring the wilderness. He saw a bunch of berries and was tempted to eat them. He reached and grabbed some. They didn’t taste nice, but food was scarce, so he chewed them down regardless. Just as he swallowed the fruit, he realized the berries might have been toxic. But he was hungry and took a chance. He felt certain he would be fine; he had eaten wild berries before, after all. But as he walked home, he became increasingly dizzy. The world was spinning, and he felt faint. He knew he had to act fast and get to the nearest people. He was on foot and had to reach a vehicle.
Finally making it back to his cabin, he went to his truck and drove the distance to the settlement. As he got closer, he felt the air leave his body. Everything got fuzzy, and he passed out. The people around just saw Richard slumped over in his car. They didn’t know what was happening. Quickly, they got him out, but it seemed to be too late. Richard was gone. What had killed him? How did he die? No one in the settlement knew, but if it was an illness that killed him, they would need to take him far away to make sure that they didn’t all get sick.
They wanted to show respect, and arrangements were quickly made for a funeral. The townspeople would lay Richard to rest as soon as possible and start digging a grave. As it was coming underway, the weather turned for the worse. Strong winds and a downpour of heavy rain suddenly occurred, causing the men to stop digging. They had to wait until the thunderstorm had passed. Richard’s body had been wrapped up in blankets and was left in an open shed outside. It was a cold and long night. The next morning, the weather was pleasant again, and the men continued to prepare Richard’s grave. No one had a coffin handy, and so he would be laid to rest with just the blankets covering him up. The townspeople then gathered for a small funeral service. Then, they picked Richard’s lifeless body up and started carrying him to his final resting place.
Suddenly, the people were surrounded by wolves. It was Silver and her family. Did she come to pay her respects? Did the pack of wolves want to attack the people? It was a scary situation. Silver was growling at the men carrying Richard. Her growl intensified as they moved closer to the grave. Scared of what the wolf might do, they set him down and moved away. Some people were even getting their guns ready, but first, they waited to see what the wolves did next.
As they slowly laid the body down, the blanket slid, uncovering Richard’s face. Silver moved in closer and licked his face. She seemed to be listening for something. It was a few seconds filled with tension. Then, suddenly, she grabbed the body by the throat, lifting up his head. It tilted back, and suddenly Richard started breathing again. It seemed like a miracle. The wolves disappeared and left the humans to care for Richard. He was quickly put on a plane and sent to town to get medical support. There, they treated him and got him back on his own two feet.
It all must have felt so surreal, but doctors had a good explanation. When humans become unresponsive, their muscles relax, and their tongue can block the airway. Your heartbeat can become faint, so much so that human ears might not hear it without the proper gear. But a wolf could. Tilting Richard’s head opened his airway, and he could breathe again. He was kept in the cold, and that preserved his life. In the end, nature, man, and beast all had a hand in helping Richard to live.
It wasn’t long before Richard was well enough to return to his beloved wilderness. The town all greeted him as he got off the plane. It was as if he was a man returning from the dead, a walking miracle, and one they were really grateful that they had not buried sooner. But a bigger surprise waited at his cabin. As soon as he set foot inside, a familiar shadow appeared in the doorway. It was Silver. She jumped around and greeted Richard like a happy puppy welcoming her human home. It felt like old times. Then, just as quickly as she came, she left again, back to join her pack.
He had saved her once, a long time ago, but now she had saved him too. Ever since then, Richard and many other townspeople would make sure that Silver and her pack would have food when the dry season made it hard to survive.
