The tale of the wolf and the owl

An old story in Lerre tells of a wolf and an owl, two very different creatures that met through the owl’s wish to no longer be afraid.

The owl was tall and skinny, lacking the grace and the wisdom of his owl friends. They were all perfect and white, upstanding members of the forest- and here he was, a brown owl with big black eyes that looked on with dopey curiosity. There was another problem as well.

The bird was afraid of heights.

So he'd flutter up into the trees and hide out in lower holes in the bark, while the more beloved owls took to the branches high above for their shelter. His little hole was comfy and warm, so he did not mind. But he found himself alone, and he had gotten used to it.

The wolf was a creature of the moon, having moved away from his pack in fear that he may bring trouble to them. Alone and guilt ridden the beast ran along the stars every night, stirring them up and sending them shooting across the sky. He did not fear the heights, running among the clouds and over the tree tops in the light of the night's skyline chandeliers.

The owl loved to watch the sky. From afar he could see the beast's silhouette running among the twinkling lights of stars, amazed by how a mere animal could manage such a magical feat. The owl could see the feral beauty of the creature, wanting to know more about the mysterious one that traveled alone. Flapping his wings, the owl would get to the top of the trees- before growing scared and blacking out from the fright.

He wished upon one of the stars that the wolf caused to shoot across the sky that he may be able to fly up and meet him some day.

Frustrated that he couldn't get over his fear, the young bird continued to watch the wolf from afar. He would hoot as loud as he could- and he was quite the noisy one- in hopes of gaining the beast's attention. The wolf couldn't hear from so high above.

The owl decided he could try getting closer- going to the top of a tree and refusing to look down so that his hoot could reach the wolf. He did so, and surprisingly the wolf stopped his running to turn and glance to the noise. The owl hid away among the branches- he was simply too frightened to speak to the beautiful creature.

The owl decided perhaps rather than flying, he could climb. That way he had the support of the branches in case he may fall. Using the magic of the night as the wolf had done, the owl grew tall and pulled away his wings to reveal human hands and bright blue eyes. Using his new fingers and drenched in a feathery ensemble, the owl that was now a boy climbed and climbed up the branches towards the sky, nervousness and fear bubbling up as he drew closer. The wolf was making the daily rounds through the stars, simply running away from the memories that bit onto his tail.

By the time the young man reached the top he was shaking and terrified, but he had made it. This gave him the courage to cry out louder than he ever could have hoped, voice echoing across the sky. The wolf paused when he recognized the call as the one he had heard previous. The beast looked upon the human boy that was once an owl, surprised that he had chosen to reveal himself.

The wolf watched calmly but with surprise as the boy explained himself. How he as afraid of heights and how he wanted to fly among the stars alongside the wolf so that neither of them were alone any longer. The wolf did not protest- it would be nice to have company on his nightly travels. Agreeing, the beast allowed his new friend to ride on his back, the owl boy still too afraid to spread his wings and fly.

They went on like that for quite a while. Both were afraid to speak much of themselves- too afraid to tell of their weaknesses and past mistakes. But things were discovered, slowly- it seems the two had more in common than they had originally thought, despite their contrasting natures.

Time passed, and things slowly grew more and more comfortable. Their thoughts were expressed more freely to one another, and as they traveled through the stars they could have sworn that they had fallen in love with each other.

The wolf took on the form of a man at one point, so that he may give the owl boy a proper kiss. It was at that time the owl decided he was ready to fly, taking his old form once again alongside the beast. The wolf continued to run, and for once, the owl soared through the brilliant stars. Although he was still afraid of plummeting to the forest below, he knew the wolf would be there to pick him back up again.

Neither were alone in their travels when they had one another. The owl and the wolf were two strong souls that became stronger with their bond. At times they would simply stop running from it all to sit among the clouds and stars and stare on at the moon, holding hands in their human forms and patiently letting time pass in each others hold.
Both were equally thankful that the owl had gained the courage to reach towards the sky and call to the wolf.