Why Wolves Howl ?
by Kerry
Deep in the forest, there is a big mountain with a river. It is a village where the people would live and had lots of land. But only wolves live on that mountain. That night four cubs play with their mothers nearby. Two wolves sit at the end of the mountain, talking.
"Why do we call ourselves the Wolves of the Longhouse?" asks one wolf.
"Because that's what the people call themselves and we are like the people," replies the other.
A few nights later with a bright full moon, the wolves dance in a circle celebrating a marriage like the people. The husband must move in with the wife. Four wolf cubs talk about starting a rumor.
"A rumor. Why would you want to start a rumor?" asks the first.
"Because we'll have fun," says the second.
"What should we say?" asks the third.
"I know, watch this," says the fourth bravely. "That is Sowa."
Sowa walks to a wolf.
"Hey you! Come here I want to tell something," he shouts to a small wolf named Kon.
"What?" shouts back Kon as Sowa thinks of a rumor.
"You know wolves don't howl right?" asks Sowa
"Ya, I know", replies the small wolf.
"Do you know why?" asks Sowa in a tricky voice.
"No, why?"
"Because the parents don't want us having all the fun, so instead when all the other wolves are asleep, they howl until another wolf wakes up," explains Sowa, knowing it was a lie. Really wolves don't howl because only dogs howl, not wolves.
"Wow, I never knew that", explains the wolf.
"Make sure you tell everyone tonight to howl when the grownups pretend to be asleep. Then all the cubs can howl for as long as we want, O.K.?" says Sowa.
"So you want me to tell all the other kid wolves tonight to howl until light comes?"
"Ya, basically. Ya"
"O.K. see ya." That night all the mother and father wolves get the cubs ready for bed. The little cub tells all of the 16 cubs in the pack to howl. When midnight comes, the parents go to one side of the mountain, where they store corn and beans: like the people, they eat food like that. The cubs are on the other side of the mountain to howl, so they don't see each other. Then at the same time, both the cubs and the parents howl. Then a pack not too far away hear and they start to howl too. Then soon, all the wolves in the world start to howl!
Now all the wolves howl because of Sowa. So, the next time you hear a wolf howl, think of Sowa.
Why Wolves Howl