Those men attacked the girl, but they would never have imagined that she was not alone in that place. Wolves are animals of noble and communal nature, being the ancestors and relatives of our best friends who inherited these traits. However, unlike dogs, wolves are wild and can be guided by primitive instincts of ferocity when interacting with humans, which explains our fear and respect for these animals.
Our story today takes place in a small town in Echos Senza, Italy. Antonella is a charming young girl who recently turned 14 and lives with her grandmother in a small town, but one full of kind people. That place has always been very peaceful, and being surrounded by a forest, it has a very natural atmosphere. However, the inhabitants must be cautious, as the forest is home to various animal species. In any case, as long as they didn’t venture deep into the woods, all the townspeople would be safe.
Antonella lost her parents in a car accident when she was very young, so she had to move to her grandmother’s house. For any other child, the change from a big city to a small town would be difficult, but that was not the case for Antonella. She has always been a calm girl with a kind heart who adored wildlife and everything in it.
Therefore, it was a blessing that near the town where she now lived, there was a forest. Despite her grandmother’s constant warnings about the dangers of the forest, the girl didn’t care much and frequently visited it. That was her way of entertaining herself—watching the animals from afar and breathing in the purer air that only nature can offer.
Besides, in one part of the forest, the girl had a treehouse that her uncle had built, knowing that she spent a lot of time in that place. This way, she would have a safe place to shelter in case she needed it. The construction was simple but effective. However, Antonella never ventured beyond her treehouse as she knew it could be dangerous and that some hungry animal might see her as prey. She limited herself to staying in the treehouse, observing squirrels, deer, and other harmless animals.
One day after leaving school, Antonella decided to take a walk around her favorite spot before going home. It didn’t take long before she heard a loud howl, which seemed to come from a wolf. At first, the teenager was scared and thought about running back to town, but the wolf kept howling. Antonella felt that these howls were of pain, and her kind spirit, combined with the natural curiosity of children, made her approach the source of the sound. Perhaps the animal was in trouble, and she could help.
From afar, she saw the body of an animal lying on the ground. As she got closer, she realized it was a she-wolf, which filled her with fear. Perhaps it had been reckless to come so close, as she knew these wild animals might attack humans on first sight. Trying to avoid the risk, she hesitated, but then she noticed that the she-wolf was not alone. Beside her were two pups, looking sadly at their mother
.
Antonella realized that the she-wolf was injured, and from the marks, it seemed she had faced a larger animal, probably a bear. The mother had likely given everything to protect her pups, and despite being injured, she had managed to keep them safe. However, the price was high—the she-wolf paid with her life.
The girl thought about getting closer to try to help, although she didn’t know how. After all, she was just a girl and didn’t know how to treat wounds, but she didn’t want to leave her suffering. Something had to be done. Gathering courage, Antonella approached the she-wolf and her pups. Surprisingly, the she-wolf didn’t react aggressively. Perhaps she sensed that the girl wasn’t a threat. Antonella sat next to the wolf family while she watched the she-wolf, who was on the brink of death, and stroked the little pups, not knowing what else she could do.
Antonella took out some food she had in her bag and offered it to the pups, who gladly accepted the gift from that human. The girl felt deeply moved and, in an innocent way, said to the she-wolf, “I promise that I will take care of your pups. I will bring food every day and play with them every afternoon after school.”
The she-wolf fixed her gaze on the girl’s eyes as she spoke, as if she could understand her words. The she-wolf took her last breaths, departing from this world. The pups began to howl sadly beside their mother’s body, and Antonella cried at this touching scene.
She knew she had to keep the promise she had made to the dying she-wolf. However, she couldn’t take the pups home, as her grandmother would panic if she showed up with two wolves. But she also didn’t want to leave them unprotected, where any predator could attack them. The only solution she could think of was to take them to the treehouse, where they would be a little safer.
So Antonella took the two pups there and decided to give them names. The girl named them Romulus and Remus—those names were perfect. She spent the rest of the afternoon playing with them in the treehouse until dusk, when Antonella had to say goodbye to go back home. But she promised the two wolf brothers that she would return the next day with food and to play with them.
And so she did. The next day, the girl bought dog food and took it to her wolf cubs. This routine repeated daily for several months until the two wolves, now larger, began to hunt on their own. Although they had grown almost like adult wolves, they still behaved like pups alongside Antonella. The girl who had cared for them since they were young was now seen as a mother or older sister, and the wolves were extremely affectionate and protective of her.
One day, while heading back to her treehouse to meet with Romulus and Remus, she didn’t realize that two men were following her. These two inhuman individuals had noticed that the young girl used to go into the forest alone and began to plan something terrible. What they didn’t imagine was that Antonella was far from being alone. As Antonella approached her treehouse, she was confronted by the two men, who surrounded her and threatened her with a sharp weapon.
The young girl felt terrified, thinking that the greatest danger in that forest was an animal, not a human being. While Antonella feared the worst, the men believed that the girl would be easy prey until they heard two howls coming from the forest.
Antonella immediately felt relieved, as she knew exactly who it was. The men, on the other hand, became scared. Suddenly, two wolves, furious, emerged from the forest, irritated by what those men intended to do to the girl. They attacked, biting the arm of one and the leg of the other. If Antonella had not stopped her wolves, those men probably would not have managed to escape. Those two men would never dare to approach that forest again while they were alive.
Antonella thanked her wolves for saving her life, and together they returned to the treehouse, where once again they spent a fun afternoon, as they always did.
