Don't look at me like that.
There were times the sun
rose and set only for me.
The birds sang
only to make me happy.
The rivers flowed towards me,
and the grass grew
so l could play in it.
l was a prince.
Actually,
why just a prince?
l was a king.
And the whole world around me
was my kingdom.
From the moment l opened my eyes
and learned to walk
l started to run around
and poke my nose everywhere.
You can always find something good.
And if you do,
it's best to hide it
before someone else
takes it away.
That's why you should wake up
first and scout out the territory.
That way you can grab
a good spot to wait for Mother
and be the first to grab a teat
before your brothers wake up.
With a lot of pups and fewerteats,
whoeverdidn't grab one in time
simply didn't get any milk.
That's something that l learned
early on and l'll neverforget,
if you don't look out for yourself
you'll end up hungry.
And anotherthing l learned:
lnstead of fighting for milk
it's best to be ready
to jump forthe meat.
Father brought it from the hill in his
belly and vomited it onto the ground.
lt may sound kind of gross,
but it tasted divine.
Fatherdidn't always feel like
dealing with us.
The angrier he got,
the more we wanted to go to him.
Although no one had a chance.
That is...
no one but me.
Father had a problem
with his front leg
but that didn't stop him
from hunting for us.
One day instead of giving us meat
he made us follow him.
l was disappointed
that he didn't bring any food
but l gradually realized that something
new and interesting was happening.
We left our protected canyon
forthe first time
and climbed the hill to...
Actually,
l had no idea to what.
l didn't even know there was
anything outside the canyon.
The fartherwe went,
the more curious l was.
ln the end l couldn't hold back.
l left the pack and went on alone.
ln an instant
the whole world changed.
l couldn't believe my eyes.
lt was a thousand times
more than anything l'd everseen.
l wasn't even sure it was real.
My brothers had already gone back
but l didn't care.
l wanted to run to
that amazing new place...
Actually, l didn't want to,
l had to!
l felt it inside.
Fathertried to call me,
but he saw that l simply couldn't move.
l was stuck.
On one hand
l was irresistibly drawn there,
on the other hand l felt
my body couldn't do it yet.
l had no choice but to wait a while.
But with every day that passed
my yearning only grew
to explore those spaces,
and as soon as my body
was big enough l set out.
No matter how far l ran
there was no end to it.
Not before me, not behind,
not to the sides...
Just more and more
freedom in every direction.
The farther l went,
the stronger l felt,
the fartheraway l got,
the more l loved the wide open spaces.
l was as happy as can be.
Suddenly l saw the animals with horns
that l'd seen from the hill.
l wanted to leap with them
through the tall grass,
it looked like such fun,
but theirscent drove me wild
and suddenly all l wanted to do
was eat them.
But they had other ideas.
Maybe l wasn't quiet enough?
Maybe l wasn't quick enough?
Where's Father
when you need him?
l was hungry, so hungry...
l'd neverfelt so hungry before.
And then l smelled the wonderful meat
that Father used to bring us.
But l was surprised by theirsize
and their look wasn't too encouraging.
How could l get a little piece
of that?
l didn't know what l wanted more,
to fill the hole in my belly
orto prove l could beat them.
What l discovered was,
one wolf alone doesn't make fairteams.
And as if that weren't enough,
suddenly my way was blocked
by those lines.
What is that?
l couldn't keep going.
This was too much.
l had to satisfy my belly
and my sense of dignity somehow.
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea
to leave the pack.
Everything was a little more
complicated than l thought.
Little did l know that it would only
get more complicated.
The changes
caught me unprepared.
l couldn't figure out
where the sun went
orwhat all that soft whiteness was,
but it froze my paws
and made it hard to move,
not to mention
catch something to eat.
Everything slowed down.
l looked at the otheranimals
and thought about my brothers
who were probably huddling together
to keep warm.
Don't believe what they say.
Who wants to be
a lone wolf anyway?
And again those lines
that block the way and the food...
Who put them there?
Finally the sun came back
along with the sounds
l'd got used to hearing,
and the animals l'd got to know.
Renewal was in the air
and that brought back memories
of home.
Maybe my parents also
had new babies after l left.
Little brothers
who l don't even know.
l felt full
and gave up on eating it.
So ljust sat there
and watched it.
But then came new noises,
louder, uglier, scarier noises
than l'd ever heard before.
What kind of animal
makes that kind of noise?
l didn't know whetherto run away
like everyone else orwait.
lf his mother left him there,
maybe l should stay, too?
l saw her look for him
and not find him.
You could say
l was worried about him.
Strange as it seems, l was glad
to see that he was all right.
lt seemed like the danger
had passed.
But then l noticed that
the animal left something behind
and that something was growing
at a frightening rate.
The heat became unbearable,
l had to find a way to cool off.
And then l saw her.
l couldn't take my eyes off her.
lt was love at first sight.
Suddenly everything was different.
l didn't want to run in the fields
any more, orclimb hills,
or prove myself to the cows
ortake overthe world...
all l wanted was her.
The earth felt different, the wind,
even the waterseemed clearer,
as if the world had suddenly
changed colorand shape.
Everything became fun,
and not only that,
l didn't have to make do
with hyraxes any more.
Now we'll show those cows.
Two wolves is
a totally different story.
Although it was the first time
we ever hunted together
it felt like
we'd been doing it forever.
But let's not get carried away.
Friends are one thing
but meat is another.
l'm the male
and l always eat first.
One summer morning l went out
wandering, l sniffed the grass,
made paths among the flowers,
and then fell asleep
unworriedly in the sunshine.
But then those noises came again,
louderand closer,
and everyone ran away again.
l didn't know what to do
so l hid and looked around.
The animal was dragging a deer,
two, three...
many more than l could count.
How did it catch so many so fast?
How big is its pack
that it needs so much food?
What if it decides to hunt me?
And her?
Where is she, anyway?
l was surprised at the way l felt.
l'd never been so worried
about anyone but myself before.
The days passed
and things started to overflow.
l felt something big
was about to happen.
lt was in the air, in the water,
it was everywhere.
Suddenly herscent
began to confuse me
and excite my body
in a way l'd neverfelt before
and l became restless.
l didn't know why,
but l had to be near her,
to touch her, to smell her.
She drove me wild
but l couldn't stop.
And then l discovered
that we weren't alone.
Suddenly everyone wanted her.
Herscent drove everyone wild,
but she was mine!
What are they doing here
anyway?
l had to get rid of them
to prove who's the boss here.
To make it clear
that only one can have her
and that one is me.
But they didn't give up.
They finally got the point
and went off to find anothershe-wolf.
l'd nevergiven up on anything
and l didn't intend to start then.
Now she knows it too.
lt felt like one thing has ended
and something new was about to begin.
l didn't know exactly what,
but l felt it was going to be good.
With every moment that passed
l only loved her more.
And even though
l'm a male and everything
l found myself giving in to her
and letting hereat first.
Life is full of endless surprises.
She changed before my eyes.
She grew heavy and tired
and wanted to lie around all day.
Everyone around us was so busy,
getting ready forsomething,
that l started to think
l might have a role too.
My instincts told me
to get to work.
She marked the place
and l started to prepare it.
l saw herstanding there,
and waited to see what she would do.
l guess she felt
the time had come.
l realized she didn't want me
in there with her,
but l didn't know
what l was supposed to do.
l was hoping
she will know.
The only thing l could do
was stand guard.
l heard noises
and l felt her pain from afar.
l trusted her, but l was also afraid.
What was she doing there?
What if even she didn't know?
lt drove me crazy,
not knowing how to help her.
l felt herdistress
and it overcame me, too.
l stood there for hours, worried,
but eventually l felt
everything was alright.
Then l heard the wail of a pup
and then another.
l'd never imagined that
a sound could touch me so deeply.
l didn't yet know
how many pups there were
but l realized l had a pack
and l was so filled with pride
that l had to tell the whole world!
l wasn't used to being away from her
forso long and l missed her like crazy.
l knew that while
the pups were young,
only she could catertheir needs,
but l didn't feel like sharing her.
l wondered how they looked,
how they smelled,
and l waited forthe moment
when she'd let me see them.
And then they appeared,
each one cuterthan the next,
and the next, and the next...
We had a lot of pups.
One look was all it took
to understand what they needed.
Milk is nice and sweet and all,
but it was time forthe real thing.
l went hunting with her like we used to
but it wasn't the same any more.
The area was full of obstacles
and we had to be
much fasterand more careful.
The biggest change is that
we had to eat meat
without swallowing it,
as my parents did for me.
Saving such good meat
in my belly forsomeone else...
who'd have thought
l could do that?
The pups grew and we took them out
fora hunting lesson.
l left them in the bushes
with their motherand went ahead.
While l looked forsome
juicy meat forthem
they took the opportunity
to have a last dairy meal.
ln nature, it's betterto be
a wolf than a hyrax.
l hoped they noticed
how easily l did it.
l watched the pups play
and wondered about theirfuture,
what l should teach them
and so on,
and l noticed what was happening
to the otheranimals around me.
l couldn't let that happen to us,
so l decided to teach them
attack and defense techniques.
lt takes a lot of patience
to raise puppies.
Autumn returned,
and with it, the time to see
if we could call ourselves "a pack".
We went out
on a night-hunt together
as my parents did
with my brothers and me.
How many seasons ago was that?
lt's hard to count.
That was the first time
we all did it together.
We caught a boar
and overcame it easily.
The family that hunts together
eats together.
You could say that from then on
l never hunted alone again.
When you're the leaderof a pack
there are lots of things
you don't have to do yourself
any more,
When time came to get ready
for birthing,
the olderwolves prepared
everything.
And me?
l only had to supervise.
Even though the whole pack was there,
l was the only one who was concerned.
l knew that something was wrong
this time.
Very wrong.
Every pack has its sad stories,
but you have to set them aside
and look ahead.
We were even bigger
than the pack l grew up in
but it wasn't really that hard
because we hardly had
to care forthe pups.
The olderwolves did everything.
There are days that begin
and in yourwildest dreams
you can't imagine how they'll end.
l should have thought about it before,
but l didn't yet understand
how to run such a big pack.
We went out together,
left the little ones in the bushes,
and went with the big ones
to get food.
lt could have been
a normal day of hunting
but it turned into
something entirely different.
You can't imagine the pain when you
lose an offspring, the anger...
l knew which animal was responsible
but l didn't know what else
it would do.
We stood there petrified...
How did they find them?
Why didn't they stay
in the bushes?
But there was no time to lose,
ln the end, my anger
overcame my fear.
l felt like everything l'd been through
led up to this moment.
No animal can take
my pups away,
l couldn't let it happen.
l'll probably nevertruly understand
what happened that day
but l sure remember how l felt.
Only when l saw my pack
all together
did l realize how lucky we were.
But you can't always
count on luck.
lf you want to survive in this world
you have to fight forwhat you have,
and that's exactly what l did.
Only then could l finally
shut my eyes.
We enjoyed our life as a family
until nature called the olderwolves
to go on theirway.
The olderwolves
began to leave one by one.
l knew l had to let them go,
just as my parents had let me.
The world is too big and fascinating
not to go out and explore.
l hope l taught them
everything they need to know.
lt was hard for her but suddenly
we had all the time in the world
and it felt just like starting over.
We could be together
without worrying about anyone else
and do whateverwe wanted.
As faras l was concerned
we could go on like that forever.
The world gives you
so many wonderful things,
and sometimes
it takes them away, too.
But l still have
my wonderful memories.
The greatest love of all,
the thrilling adventures,
the splendid pack l raised...
A more magnificent dynasty
than l'd ever imagined.
l took everything l could
from life on this earth.
And, between you and me...
even a little bit more.
l trust the wind
to say goodbye to them for me.