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The White Wolf |
"Alright, children, now it's time for the last and grandest story of the night," said Papa Alvin. "It's the story of the White Wolf!" The children all huddled around with their cups of cocoa and eager grins on their faces. "The story begins in a little village near the sea." "Oh no it doesn't!" said Grandma Louise. "It begins in a kingdom near an enchanted forest." "You think you can tell it better, Lou?" Grandpa replied with a frumpy look on his face. "Why, yes. As a matter of fact, I tell this one much better than you, you old yarn-spinner." Grandma and Grandpa's arguments never seemed overly antagonistic--more like a well-rehearsed scene for the benefit of the audience. "Well, go ahead and tell it already. My cocoa's gotten cold enough from sittin'!" And so Grandma began... |
| O nce, in a land called Adelvice, there lived a king who had three beautiful daughters, none lovelier than the youngest. One day the king set out on a journey and promised to bring each daughter the present of her choosing. The older daughters wanted silken dresses and expensive jewelry, but the youngest simply asked for a wreath of wild flowers. So, he promised them all and set forth. On his journey, the king bought silken dresses and exquisite jewels for his oldest daughters. However, he could not find any wildflowers for sale in the villages he visited. Eventually, his business was finished, and the king started home, bu he was troubled by his inability to find the flowers. Then, as if by fortune, on the side of the road appeared a white wolf, and upon his head was a wreath of beautiful wildflowers. The king commanded his driver to stop and fetch the wreath, but the driver was too scared. Then, the wolf spoke, saying, "Your majesty, you may have these flowers, if only you will grant me one favor in return. Whatsoever first greets you when you enter your kingdom, that shall be mine, and I will come for it in three days." The king had yet a long journey in front of him, and he thought that surely some wild animal would cross his path long before he reached the castle. So, he said, "Tis done! You have my word." Then, the king started home, but nothing came to greet him until he had nearly reached the castle. Then, from behind a hedge of roses, out popped the youngest princess. "Welcome home, father!" she said with a smile. The king's heart sank as he realized that he had promised his daughter to the white wolf! He immediately found the queen and told her about his predicament. The queen, conniving as she was, devised a plan to substitute the daughter of a poor housekeeper for her own daughter. The queen said to the princess, "Go and hide yourself. For when the wolf comes to retrieve you, he must believe that this servant girl is you." But the princess would not hear of it. "No, mother!" she said angrily. "My father has never broken his word, and he shan't do it now on account of this! Besides, that poor girl is not so clever as I, and she would surely perish."  When three days had passed, the wolf came to take his prize. The princess presented herself bravely. The wolf approached and examined her scent. Satisfied that she was indeed the king's daughter, the wolf bade the princess to climb upon his back, and he darted quickly out of the castle and into the woods. After a long journey, they came to an immense gate. The princess climbed down and peered through it to see a marvelous courtyard garden with every kind of wildflower imaginable. The gates opened as if by magic, and as the wolf stepped through them he stood up and walked upon his hind legs. He then unzipped his skin from nose to belly and peeled it back to reveal the wavy hair and broad, muscular shoulders of a young man. The White Wolf was really the king of the enchanted kingdom, and he married the princess that night! The two quickly became eager and devoted lovers. Still, the princess longed to see her parents and sisters again. A short time later, her husband came to her as the wolf and said, "My love, prepare to journey to Adelvice for your eldest sister's wedding." He cautioned, however, "This evening, you must come to me when I call for you from the gate, and you mustn't tarry or we might be parted forever." When the wolf had delivered her, the princess dashed into the castle and greeted everyone she had missed during her absence. She joined in the wedding dances, but when she heard the white wolf beckon, she hurried to him and away they returned to their kingdom. Six months passed, and the young king, dressed as the white wolf, came again to his queen, saying, "Dearest, your other sister is to be wed. This time I shall  remain there a night with you, and we will
return the next day." So, the two journeyed again to Adelvice
and--after the wedding--took a room in the castle. At bedtime,
the young king removed his wolf's skin and went to bed with his
wife. But the queen had placed a spy in the room to learn the
secret of the white wolf. When the spy told her about the skin,
she sent a thief to steal it and throw it in a fire! No sooner
did the
flame touch the skin than the young king vanished and
returned to his kingdom, stranding his beloved princess behind. The princess knew immediately that it was the queen who had caused her dear husband to vanish! She cursed her mother and wished that she had never returned to Adelvice. But the princess was brave and her heart could not bear to be apart from her beloved, so she packed a few things and set out to find the white wolf's castle. For weeks she journeyed through the enchanted forest. Sometimes, she thought she recognized a bit of the path that led to her home with the white wolf, but each time she lost the trail and was lost again. She slept on tree limbs and ate what few berries she could forage, but she did not give up. Eventually, the princess came to a tiny cabin in the woods. She went inside and found the spirit of the wind, and he said to her, "Good princess, queen of the enchanted kingdom, I bid you welcome. You have found my home, and so I shall give you a gift." "Oh, Spirit," the princess replied, "I want no gift other than to be reunited with my love." "This I know," said the spirit of the wind, and he gave her a pair of shoes that could allow her to travel one thousand miles with every step. She put them on and began to search everywhere for her husband's kingdom. She traveled to the stars and asked if they had seen the white wolf, but they had not. She traveled to the moon and asked if she had seen the white wolf, but the moon had not either. Finally, she traveled to the sun and said, "Oh, great Sun, bringer of life and light, have you seen my beloved? Can you help me to find his castle?" The sun replied, "My dear child. You tell only the truth, and you keep your oaths to everyone; therefore, you are also a bringer of light. What's more, you carry the child of your beloved husband inside you, and so you are also a bringer of life." And with that, the sun set her down at the edge of the massive gate that stood before the beautiful courtyard in front of the white wolf's castle. The gate opened to her, and she rushed into the castle, but no one was there! She ran up and down the halls shouting for anyone, but there was no reply.  Then, she looked out across the gardens and saw the entire court gathered near a distant fountain. She listened intently and heard the ringing of bells. The princess knew immediately that her husband was about to take another bride. It would be his duty to replace the queen if she was lost, and surely he thought the princess would never return! Even at that moment, the new bride was beginning to walk down the aisle to take her place next to the king at the alter. Quickly, she put on the magic shoes that the wind had given her, and in one stride she stood next to her husband. She looked at him and said nothing. The young wolf-king was shocked and amazed. Tears came to his eyes, and he took his wife in a passionate embrace. She whispered in his ear that she was pregnant with the new heir, and the king proudly announced it to all the guests! The courtiers cheered and clapped and wished for the future health of the king and queen and their child-to-be. Even the new bride, who would now have to find another husband was happy for the pair, and the queen ordered that she be married to the most eligible man in the kingdom... the most eligible other than her husband, that is! |
"Now, off to bed with all of you. Shoo! Shoo!" said Grandma Louise, and off to bed they all went. |
Bibliographical Information: Author: Andrew Lang Year Published: 1900 Web Source: The Grey Fairy Book |
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to Cover Page Back to Introduction Story 1 - Eisenkopf Story 2 - The Yara Story 3 - Sylvain and Jocosa |
| Image Web
Source: White
Wolf, from FiariesVampires.com Image Web Source: White Wolf Close-up, from DesktopExchange Image Web Source: Cawdor Castle, from GardenVisit.com Link to Adelvice, from thinkbabynames.com |