“Gran! Gran Alice!” I shouted from the lane. “Who allowed you to keep a wolf in the village?”
Alice Stevens wiped away tears as she stared at her collapsed garden fence. Shed patched it up so many times with spare planks, hoping it would hold until she could afford a new one from her modest pension, but fate had other ideasthe fence lay in ruins.
For ten years now, Alice had managed the house alone, ever since her beloved husband, Peter Andrew Stevens, passed away. Peter had hands of gold; while he was alive, Alice never worried about a thing. Peter could turn his hand to anythingcarpentry, woodwork, whatever needed doing. No need for tradesmen. Folks in the village respected him for his kindness and his work ethic. Together, theyd lived happily for forty years, missing their ruby wedding by just a day. Their neat house, bountiful veg patch, healthy livestockall the result of teamwork.
They had just one sonEdward, their pride and joy. Since he was little, hed always pitched in, never needing to be asked. If Alice came home tired from the dairy, Edward would already have fetched wood, brought water, lit the fire, and tended to the animals.
Peter came home, washed up, and took a smoke on the porch while Alice cooked supper. Evenings were spent together at the table, swapping news and stories. They were happy.
Time brings only memories. Edward grew up and moved away, heading for London to study. He married a city girlCharlotteand settled in the capital. At first, Edward holidayed with his parents; but gradually his wife persuaded him to travel abroad in the summers and the old habits faded. Peter never understood.
Wheres Ed managed to tire himself out? he grumbled. Its that Charlie filling his head with nonsense. What does he want with all those trips?
Peter became gloomy, Alice missed her boybut what could they do but live quietly, hoping for some word from him? Then one day Peter fell ill. He grew weaker, ate little. The doctors prescribed medicines, but eventually sent him home to rest out his days. That spring, as the woods burst into song, Peter passed peacefully.
Edward came for the funeral, tears streaming on his face. He berated himself for not visiting sooner. He stayed a week, then returned to London. In the ten years since, he sent just three letters. Alice was left alone. She sold her cow and sheep to neighbours.
What need had she for livestock now? The cow would stand at Alices gate, listening to her sob. Alice would shut herself away in the back room, clamp her hands over her ears, and cry.
Without a mans hands, the home started to fall apartleaky roof, rotten porch planks, cellars flooded. Alice did what she could, saving pennies from her pension for a tradesman, sometimes muddling through on her own. Shed grown up in the countrysideshe knew how to manage.
She struggled to make ends meet. Then another blow: Alices eyesight deteriorated sharply. She hadnt had problems before, but noticed one day she could barely read the price tags at the village shop. Within months, she could hardly see the sign over the door.
The community nurse came and insisted on a hospital check.
“Mrs Stevens, do you want to go blind? If you have surgery, your sight might come back!”
But Alice was afraid of hospitals and refused. Within a year, shed lost almost all her vision, yet she didnt let it worry her much.
What do I need to see for? I dont watch tellyjust listen to the newsreader. I manage everything here by memory.
Occasionally, though, she grew anxious. The village had grown less friendly; thieves now prowled the empty cottages, stealing what they could. Alice fretted that she hadnt a good dog to scare off unwelcome visitors.
She asked Ben, the local gamekeeper,
Ben, do you know if the ranger has any puppies? Id raise one, even a tiny thing
Ben looked at her with a half-smile.
Gran Alice, why do you want a husky pup? Thats a forest dog. If you like, I can get you a proper pedigree sheepdog from town.
Sheepdogs expensive, I expect
Not dearer than life, gran.
Well then, bring one, please.
Alice counted her savingsenough, she reckoned, for a decent dog. But Ben, unreliable as ever, kept putting off his promise. She lectured him about empty words, but inside she pitied hima lonely man, no family, only the bottle for company.
Ben, the same age as Alices Ed, had stayed in the village, never taken to the city. He lived for hunting, vanishing into the woods for days. When the season ended, he picked up odd jobs around the villagedigging, mending gear, carpentry. What he earned from old widows was soon spent on drink.
After a binge, Ben would slink into the woodsbloated, miserable, ashamed. A few days later, he returned with bountiesmushrooms, berries, fish, pine cones. Hed sell the lot for pennies, then waste the profits. But he always helped Alice out, for a bit of pay. When the fence collapsed, she turned to him again.
“Looks like a dog will have to wait,” sighed Alice. “Ill have to pay Ben for the fence, and Im short on cash.”
Ben showed up with his rucksack, tools and all, and something squirming inside. Grinning, he called Alice over.
“Look who Ive brought you!” He unzipped the bag.
Alice reached out and found a fluffy little head.
“Benyou brought me a puppy?” she gasped.
“The best of the best. Pure-blood sheepdog, gran.”
The pup squirmed to escape the bag. Alice panicked.
“But I havent enough! Only for the fence!”
“Not going to take it back now, gran,” Ben replied. “Do you know how many hundreds I paid for this dog?”
She had little choice. Alice hurried to the shop where the lady let her have five bottles of Bens favourite on credit and chalked up her name in the ledger.
By evening, Ben had finished the fence. Alice gave him a hearty lunch and poured him a drink. Cheered by liquor, he sat at the table, gesturing at the puppy curled up by the fire.
“You need to feed him twice a day. Get a strong chainthe pupll grow up big and healthy. I know dogs.”
So a new resident arrived in Alices houseSpot. She grew fond of the pup, and he was devoted in return. Every time Alice stepped into the yard, Spot leapt up, wagging and ready to lick her face. Only one thing worried herthe dog grew enormous, like a calf, but never learned to bark. It upset Alice.
“Oh Ben! Oh you rogue! Sold me a useless dog.”
But what could she doshe couldnt turn out such a gentle creature. He didnt need to bark; even the neighbours dogs shied away from Spot, who reached up to Alices waist after just three months.
One day, Matthew, another village huntsman, arrived to buy supplies ready for the winter hunting season, when men camped out in the woods for weeks. Walking past Alices cottage, he stopped deadthe sight of Spot floored him.
“Gran Alice!” he called out. “Who gave you permission to keep a wolf in the village?”
Alice clutched her chest, devastated.
“Oh my goodness! What a fool I am! Ben deceived me. He said it was a pure sheepdog ”
Matthew replied gravely,
“Best let him go in the woods, gran. Or therell be trouble.”
Tears filled Alices eyes. How she hated to part with Spot! Gentle, affectionatethough truly a wolf. Lately, he had grown restless, tugging, desperate for freedom. The villagers eyed him with suspicion. There was no other way.
Matthew drove the wolf to the forest. Spot wagged his tail and slipped away into the trees. He was never seen again.
Alice missed her companion and cursed Bens trickery. Ben himself regretted it, having meant well. Once, lost in the woods, Ben had stumbled upon bear tracks. Hearing a pitiful whine, he was about to leavewhere there are cubs, theres a mother bearbut this didnt sound right.
Peering through a thicket, he spotted a den. Nearby lay a dead wolfher slaughtered pups scattered about. Clearly a bear had attacked the family. Just one tiny cub had survived, hiding in the burrow.
Ben took pity, so he took the orphan home and later passed him on to Alice, reckoning that when the wolf grew, hed return to the wild. Meanwhile, Ben would find her a proper dog. But Matthew had ruined the plan.
Ben loitered near Alices cottage for days, unable to face her. Outside, winter raged. Alice kept the stove burning, afraid of freezing at night.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Alice hurried to let them in. On the step stood a man.
“Evening, gran. May I stay the night? I was headed for the neighbouring village and lost my way.”
Whats your name, dear? My eyesights poor.
Boris.
Alice frowned.
“Dont recall any Boriss round here ”
“Im new, gran. Bought a cottage nearbynot long ago. Was going to look, but my car broke down, had to come on foot, and this blizzard!”
“So you bought Danilsons old house?”
The man nodded.
“Exactly that.”
Alice welcomed him in, set the kettle on. She didnt notice him eyeing her antique sideboard, where villagers kept spare cash and valuables.
While Alice fussed at the stove, the visitor started rooting around. She heard a creak.
“What are you doing, Boris?”
“Money reform, you know! Im helping you sort out your old notes.”
Alice scowled.
“Rubbish. No reforms happenedwho are you?”
The man brandished a knife against her chin.
“Shut up, gran. Hand over the money, gold, and food!”
A surge of terrorhe was a criminal, hiding from the police. Now her fate was sealed
Suddenly, the door burst open. A huge wolf bounded in, leaping at the crook. He cried out, but the thick scarf around his neck blunted the bites. He lashed out with the knife, nicking Spots shoulder. The wolf staggered, giving the thief just enough time to flee.
At that moment, Ben, on his way to apologise, passed the gate and spotted a man running with a knife, swearing fit to burst. Ben sprinted in; inside, Spot lay bleeding on the floor. Ben pieced it together and dashed for the constable.
They caught the thief, who was put away for another spell.
Spot became the village hero. People brought him scraps and greeted him cheerily. He was never chained again, free to roam. But he always returned to Alice, joining Ben after their hunting trips.
One afternoon, Ben and Spot found a black Range Rover parked at Alices gate. Someone was chopping woodit was Alices son, Edward. Seeing old Ben, Ed threw his arms round him.
That evening, they sat together round the kitchen table. Alice was beaming. Edward persuaded her to come to London for her eye operation, promising to help restore her sight.
Well, if its needed Alice sighed. My grandsons coming in summerI want to see him. Ben, will you mind the house and Spot?”
Ben nodded. Spot curled up by the hearth, content, his place secure beside his friends.
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