understand. Lucie does. I think she will always be special.”
“All the same, would it not be simpler to leave her and find another home?”
Fang shook her head.
Silver Paw said, “Bring the child back to me.”
Fang fetched Lucie. Together the wolf and the girl stood facing Silver Paw.
“So, child,” said Silver Paw. “It is not our custom to bring humans among us, nor to give them help. But I am told that you are a friend to Fang.”
“Oh yes. I will never let her down, I promise!”
“It is a serious matter, such a promise. But the truth is I do not know if I can help you. For the cause of your trouble lies among humans. So the solution must be found there too. If I am
to help you then you yourself must point the way.”
“Oh,” cried Lucie, tears of disappointment in her eyes.
“Perhaps it would be better if Fang left for the present. Then the other humans might forget their fears. She could come back later to find out. If so…good. If not…”
Silver Paw shrugged.
“No!” cried Lucie. “She mustn’t go away!”
“Then is there anything you can tell me that might help?”
The old wolf’s eyes bored into Lucie. He was expecting something. But what?
“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Lucie desperately. “Except — except that I know that Fang must never leave Acorn Avenue!”
There was a long pause after those words. Lucie felt close to tears. But at her words something changed in the old wolf’s face. Something flickered in his milky eyes.
“
Acorn Avenue
, you say?”
“Yes. It’s where I live.”
“I see. Yes. That might be important.”
“Really?” asked Lucie, astonished.
Silver Paw was staring into the distance. Lucie had the feeling he was listening hard to something, even though there was nothing to hear except the wind. But then, maybe a wolf could hear
things in the wind that a human could not.
At last he said, “Maybe I
can
help you. Or rather, I can help you to help yourself. But you alone must find the answer. For the solution lies not with us wolves, but in the human
world.”
“What am I to do?”
“Listen.” And the old wolf began to speak in a sing-song voice.
“The task begins at your own front door
For answer follow your own right paw
Human knowledge is what you need
Written in form that humans read.”
“Is that it? But what does it mean?” cried Lucie hopelessly.
“You must work it out for yourself. Thus proving that you at least, of all your kind, are not stupid. If you succeed then you will have shown yourself a true friend to Fang and to wolves.
You will become a Cub of our Pack — the first human ever to be so chosen. Come here.”
Then Fang nudged Lucie forward with her nose, until she stood between the paws of the old wolf.
Silver Paw breathed softly on Lucie. Very gently he licked Lucie’s forehead.
“Good luck, Little Cub,” he said. “May you complete your task.”
The snow was swirling again. The wolves were still milling around their clearing but now it was as if they were performing a beautiful dance. They wove in and out in intricate patterns, their
tails flowing behind them. Lucie’s head spun, and even the stars seemed to be dancing…the wind was rushing past her ears…
Suddenly Lucie sat up with a start. It was still dark. The church clock was striking six.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Following the Right Paw
“O f course it must have been a dream,” said Lucie to Fang. “I mean really! Flying out of the window to a Wolf Meet in the park! I
know
I dreamt it. I did, didn’t I?”
“If you’re so sure —” Fang yawned — “then why are you asking
me
?”
“Because I’m
not
sure, of course!” Lucie shouted. “And because I want it to be true. I
need
it to be true! Silver Paw’s advice is the only hope we
have!”
They were walking round and round the garden in the snow, rather like Pooh and Piglet pursuing the Woozle, Lucie thought. But there was nowhere else they could talk. They were no
“All the same, would it not be simpler to leave her and find another home?”
Fang shook her head.
Silver Paw said, “Bring the child back to me.”
Fang fetched Lucie. Together the wolf and the girl stood facing Silver Paw.
“So, child,” said Silver Paw. “It is not our custom to bring humans among us, nor to give them help. But I am told that you are a friend to Fang.”
“Oh yes. I will never let her down, I promise!”
“It is a serious matter, such a promise. But the truth is I do not know if I can help you. For the cause of your trouble lies among humans. So the solution must be found there too. If I am
to help you then you yourself must point the way.”
“Oh,” cried Lucie, tears of disappointment in her eyes.
“Perhaps it would be better if Fang left for the present. Then the other humans might forget their fears. She could come back later to find out. If so…good. If not…”
Silver Paw shrugged.
“No!” cried Lucie. “She mustn’t go away!”
“Then is there anything you can tell me that might help?”
The old wolf’s eyes bored into Lucie. He was expecting something. But what?
“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Lucie desperately. “Except — except that I know that Fang must never leave Acorn Avenue!”
There was a long pause after those words. Lucie felt close to tears. But at her words something changed in the old wolf’s face. Something flickered in his milky eyes.
“
Acorn Avenue
, you say?”
“Yes. It’s where I live.”
“I see. Yes. That might be important.”
“Really?” asked Lucie, astonished.
Silver Paw was staring into the distance. Lucie had the feeling he was listening hard to something, even though there was nothing to hear except the wind. But then, maybe a wolf could hear
things in the wind that a human could not.
At last he said, “Maybe I
can
help you. Or rather, I can help you to help yourself. But you alone must find the answer. For the solution lies not with us wolves, but in the human
world.”
“What am I to do?”
“Listen.” And the old wolf began to speak in a sing-song voice.
“The task begins at your own front door
For answer follow your own right paw
Human knowledge is what you need
Written in form that humans read.”
“Is that it? But what does it mean?” cried Lucie hopelessly.
“You must work it out for yourself. Thus proving that you at least, of all your kind, are not stupid. If you succeed then you will have shown yourself a true friend to Fang and to wolves.
You will become a Cub of our Pack — the first human ever to be so chosen. Come here.”
Then Fang nudged Lucie forward with her nose, until she stood between the paws of the old wolf.
Silver Paw breathed softly on Lucie. Very gently he licked Lucie’s forehead.
“Good luck, Little Cub,” he said. “May you complete your task.”
The snow was swirling again. The wolves were still milling around their clearing but now it was as if they were performing a beautiful dance. They wove in and out in intricate patterns, their
tails flowing behind them. Lucie’s head spun, and even the stars seemed to be dancing…the wind was rushing past her ears…
Suddenly Lucie sat up with a start. It was still dark. The church clock was striking six.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Following the Right Paw
“O f course it must have been a dream,” said Lucie to Fang. “I mean really! Flying out of the window to a Wolf Meet in the park! I
know
I dreamt it. I did, didn’t I?”
“If you’re so sure —” Fang yawned — “then why are you asking
me
?”
“Because I’m
not
sure, of course!” Lucie shouted. “And because I want it to be true. I
need
it to be true! Silver Paw’s advice is the only hope we
have!”
They were walking round and round the garden in the snow, rather like Pooh and Piglet pursuing the Woozle, Lucie thought. But there was nowhere else they could talk. They were no
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