Emu-shu the Wolf, by Barbara Glover

Young Emu-shu was out in the forest searching for his wolf pack. He had been separated when the farmers had fired on them for killing a sheep. Game for the wolves was diminishing as the farms increased in the area. The wolves had decided to risk going for the sheep. They had to eat, too, and the farmers kept chopping down the trees year after year.

As Emu-shu trudged through the freshly fallen snow, he smelled a human nearby. Fear gripped him! He slunk into the deeper undergrowth to cover himself. He cautiously approached the human. From a distance he could see it was a young male human and he was hurt. The smell of the blood was in the air. Emu-shu knew the boy wouldn’t survive out in the cold. What should he do?

Craig groaned in pain as he looked down at his broken arm and hasty splint he’d put on it. He was thankful his dad had taught him how to splint a broken bone. He was a quick study of most things for a ten-year-old boy. Living on the frontier, he had to be. He now regretted going off without Holly, his collie dog, earlier this morning. She would have gone home for help. Craig had thought about trying to find his way home, but he knew he was lost. Again, the wise words of his father rang in his ears, 

“When you are lost, stay put and wait for help.” So, Craig tried to stay warm, huddling in a small snow drift to protect himself from the wind.

The boy was shaken as he heard a faint rumbling in the bushes. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He looked towards the noise and saw the wolf staring at him. “Oh, I’m a goner!” Craig thought. Probably this was a scout wolf with his pack nearby. Craig knew wolves had been preying on the sheep lately and the farmers had organized a hunting party to rid the woods of them.  His father thought the only good wolf was a dead wolf.

As Craig stared back at this wolf, though, it did not appear menacing. His regal coat and bearing stood out against the snowy landscape. Craig continued to stare back at the wolf and the wolf stared at him. For a second, Craig thought he saw kindness in the wolf’s eyes. Then, in a flash, the wolf sprinted off, disappearing from view. Craig hunkered back down in his snow drift, trying to stay warm. He began to pray as he imagined the wolf going for help. “I’m losing my mind to the cold weather,” he muttered to the wind and trees. But the prayer stayed on his lips.

Emu-shu regarded the injured human boy, and his sheepish eyes reminded him of his younger sibling Misha. He thought, “What if the humans hurt Misha? I’d want someone to help him.” He knew he’d seen this boy before, fishing on the big lake last summer. He must live near there. That was close to the farm where his pack had killed the sheep recently. Should he go for help? What would the humans do if they saw him, a wolf, near their land?

Then he thought some more, all the while staring back at the boy. An idea came to him, “I will look for a dog brave enough to come back with me and learn the location. Then the dog can lead humans to the boy.” Yes, that was it!  He would do this! Dogs were cousins to wolves and he knew they could communicate.  Making up his mind, Emu-shu sprinted off in the direction of the farms along the big lake, his feet flying easily over the snow.

Emu-shu ran and ran.  He stopped briefly at a partly flowing stream and had a long drink.  Feeling refreshed, he raced through the snowy woods. Coming around a bend, he stopped dead in his tracks. He stared in awe at what was before him. In his short life, he had seen a few dogs, but never one this beautiful. Most dogs he thought were very ugly cousins to their wolf relatives.  But this dog had long flowing fur and beautiful yellow eyes. He also knew she was a girl. Emu-shu was in love!

He knew he was supposed to get help but here was a dog, close by, who he wanted to talk with.  Why was she so far out in the woods? Were her humans nearby? Would she even speak with him?

Holly shook her collie fur and glanced up from trying to smell Craig’s scent, to see a lone wolf staring at her. She had never met a wolf before and was concerned for her safety. Where was his pack? Where they hiding nearby, waiting to attack? Was he planning to hurt her? This was also an interruption in tracking Craig’s scent, which had grown cold.

Holly stared back at the wolf meeting his intense gaze.  His eyes betrayed a kindness that put her more at ease. “What do you want, wolf?” Holly barked.

Emu-shu stood still for a moment and then replied, “I’m Emu-shu of the Big Lake pack. I’ve been trying to find my family after the hunters came and shot at us.  I found an injured human boy about an hour’s fast lope from here. I’m trying to find a dog to help me bring humans to him.”

“Oh no!” cried Holly, “that sounds like my Craig! He went out walking this morning without me.  His family doesn’t even know he’s missing yet, but I sensed he was in danger. I’ve tracked him to here, but can’t find his scent anymore. Can you take me to him?”

Emu-shu circled Holly and slowly approached her. He sniffed her and she sniffed him as was the canine custom. He then gently nuzzled her. “I will lead you to him.  Can you run fast? We can be there in an hour.  How far have you traveled?”

“I’ve come about four miles already.” Holly replied.  “And yes, wolf, I can keep up!”

“It’s Emu-shu, not wolf,” he joked with her. “And who are you?”

“I’m Holly, a collie dog from the apple farm near the big lake.”

“OK, Holly, let’s see if you can run with a wolf,” Emu-shu joked, and took off at a fast lope. Holly tried her best to keep up. She knew Craig needed her and there was something very primal about running with a wolf. Just imagine all the stories she’d be able to tell the other local dogs back home!

They cut this way and that way, bursting through thickets, leaping over fallen trees and fording an icy stream, where Emu-shu insisted they rest and have a drink. He knew Holly had a brave heart and was trying to match his natural faster speed. He really didn’t want her to get hurt in any way so he slowed down his pace to a lope her shorter legs could more easily match. Holly was glad as she’d never run so fast in all her life. Her long fur was all covered in twigs and burrs.  Emu-shu kept looking back to encourage her to keep going.

They burst into Craig’s thicket. The sudden noise jarred him awake. “Holly, Holly!” he cried as she ran up to him, licking his face. “How did you ever find me?” Then he saw Emu-shu slinking silently in the brush. So, the wolf had brought his dog to him. He was shocked. How could this be? But thank God because now he felt he would make it back home. “Thank you,” he whispered to Emu-shu.

After the happy reunion of boy and dog, Craig said, “Holly girl, take me home.” He found a tree branch to lean on with his good arm and stood up.

Holly looked for Emu-shu. Was he gone? “Emu-shu? Emu-shu? Where are you? Can you lead me back to where we met?  I know my way from there.”

Emu-shu appeared and stared at the lovely Holly.  He wondered to himself, “Should I trust her? The longer I travel with them, the more danger I’m in from the farmers.” But looking into her kind eyes, he knew he’d help her. “I’ll lead you back. But then I must go find my pack.”

“Thank you!” Holly said. Then, the slow march began. The boy followed the dog who followed the wolf. It took four hours to return to where Emu-shu had met Holly. At this pace, Emu-shu knew they’d never make it back before night fall. The boy was exhausted; that much was clear.  Emu-shu lead them on a bit farther to a place with a water source and plenty of warm undergrowth. While Holly tended to Craig, Emu-shu dug out a cavern in a snow drift. Craig, seeing this, decided to try and put a few pine boughs in for added warmth. Collapsing afterwards, he rested upon them. Holly snuggled up to Craig to keep him warm. Emu-shu disappeared for some time but later returned with a rabbit for him and Holly to eat.

“Hey, Holly, this wolf is sweet on you,” Craig remarked as he saw the wolf sharing his kill with the dog. Holly nuzzled Emu-shu in thanks, and they all curled up together to wait out the night. That night Holly and Emu-shu stayed up late chatting as Craig slept.

“Holly, do you have a pack? How does that work with dogs?”

“Yes, it’s my human family and any other dogs they may have. My sister Sadie lives with us and my brother Charley is with another family down the road.”

“You know your ancestors were once like us,” Emu-shu said, “wild and free.”

“I know, my mother told me that when I was a pup and liked to run a lot in the forest.  She said I had the wolf gene.” Holly laughed.  

Emu-shu licked her paw.  “You could come live with my pack. Be my mate. I’d look after you and teach you to hunt.”

“Oh, Emu-shu, I could never leave Craig! But I do like your company and running with you. I will miss you when we get home.”

“Holly, on the full moon night of each month, I will contact you. You will hear me. Maybe your humans will let you come out and run with me?”

“Emu-shu, I don’t know. Craig’s dad doesn’t like wolves and neither do the other farmers.  Please don’t do anything that would risk your life! I couldn’t bear that!” Holly exclaimed.

They cuddled and nuzzled closer until the bright morning sun shone into the clearing. Craig awoke and laughed when he saw his beautiful dog all snuggled up with a wolf. “Holly girl, seems you have a beau!” he chuckled. Then he gently shook her, and she and Emu-shu awoke, too. After finishing off more rabbit, they broke camp, and started walking back towards the farms as Emu-shu could not bear to leave Holly now.

Craig did well for about the first hour or so, but then his injured arm began to ache. He started to stumble. Holly ran to him, and he leaned his good side on her. They trudged along at a much slower rate. At this pace, Emu-shu realized they wouldn’t make their destination by nightfall.

He could tell Holly was too short to support Craig. He knew he’d have to allow a human to touch him. He knew it was the only way. Emu-shu came up to Holly and stopped them. He offered to take over. Holly knew the way from here anyway so she began to lead.

Craig was shocked as he leaned onto the soft coat of the wolf. Emu-shu thought it was odd, too.  He had to get the human smell off himself before going back to his pack. They’d never believe this in a thousand moons!

The miles changed and the woods thinned out near the big lake, being replaced by furrowed fields covered in snow. Little farmhouses dotted the landscape. Craig breathed a sigh of relief – home at last! He then thought, the wolf should go before he was seen by a farmer.

The trio rounded a corner and, suddenly, Craig heard his father calling him. “Son, son, where have you been? Your mother and I have been frantic with worry. So glad Holly found you!”  Then suddenly noticing Emu-shu, “Quick, run! That wolf has attacked you! Look at your arm!. He might be rabid!” John Sullivan raised his gun and pointed it at Emu-shu.

Emu-shu knew he was trapped. If he turned and ran now, he could just as likely get shot as if he stood his ground. He decided to stay put, as was his nature. Still, fear gripped him as he thought about never seeing his pack or running in the woods again, wild and free.

Craig acted quickly. With what little strength he had, he threw himself in front of Emu-shu. “No Dad! Don’t shoot him!  e saved my life! He led Holly to me and helped me walk back here.” 

Holly quivered in fear and wished Emu-shu had left them earlier when the farms first started to appear. Her dear, sweet, wolf friend Emu-shu needed to be free, running with his pack, not dead at the hands of John Sullivan. Holly walked up and sat in front of Craig, further protecting Emu-shu from being shot.

John Sullivan surveyed the most bizarre situation in front of him that he’d ever witnessed on the frontier – a wolf being protected by a boy and a dog! And to learn the wolf had helped his son!  He didn’t know what to make of the situation. There were the old Native American stories of wolves sometimes aiding humans, but he’d never put much stock in such things. But perhaps he’d been wrong, and clearly his son was safe and not listening to his advice to run. John lowered his gun. 

“Alright, Craig, I won’t shoot him or any other wolves.  Let’s get you home now.”

“Thank you, Dad. Holly will be along shortly. I think she wants to say goodbye to her new wolf friend.” Craig chuckled as he said it. Then his father lifted him up onto his horse, and they began heading home.

Holly ran with Emu-shu all the way back to the forest. They romped and played for a few hours and then parted. Upon learning of Craig’s misadventure and how Emu-shu had helped out, the farmers finally began to accept the wolves’ presence in the forest, even if an occasional sheep went missing.

On nights when the full moon is high in the sky, if you listen closely, you will hear Emu-shu singing of his love for Holly, his beautiful collie friend. Craig sometimes lets her go and run wild and free in the forest with Emu-shu.