The Boy and the Wolves facts for kids

The Boy and the Wolves is a Native American fairy tale. It tells a story about family, promises, and nature. Andrew Lang included this tale in his famous collection, The Yellow Fairy Book.

What is The Boy and the Wolves About?

This story begins with a kind hunter who moves his family to a quiet, faraway place. He wants to avoid the bad things in the world. They live a peaceful life there.

When the hunter is about to die, he asks his two older children, a son and a daughter, to always take care of their youngest brother. They promise him they will, and the father dies in peace.

The Broken Promise

After their mother also passes away, the oldest son decides he wants to go back to the village where his father was born. His sister reminds him of their promise to their father. But the oldest son leaves anyway. He finds the village and starts his own family there.

Later, the sister also leaves. She starts to see her youngest brother as a problem. She follows her older brother to the village and gets married. This leaves the youngest boy all alone.

A Boy Becomes a Wolf

The youngest child first lives on the food and supplies his siblings left behind. But when winter arrives, he starts to starve. To survive, he begins to eat whatever the wolves leave behind after their meals.

Over time, the wolves get used to the boy. They even let him share their food. He becomes part of their pack.

When spring comes, the boy follows the wolves to the shores of a lake or river. By chance, his oldest brother is fishing nearby. The brother hears the boy singing that he is becoming a wolf. He remembers the promise he made to his father.

The brother calls out to the boy. But it is too late. The child slowly changes into a wolf and runs off with the rest of the wolf pack.

The Sad Ending

The oldest brother feels very guilty and sad. He goes back to the village and spends the rest of his life feeling sorry for what he did. His sister also feels the same way. The story teaches us about the importance of keeping promises and the strong bond of family.