hn. He is very weak. Probably his mother was
killed by some hunters, who left her little ones there to starve. That
is what they do, John, never stopping to think what suffering they
cause. But let us now feed this little fellow with warm milk, and we
shall soon have him as gay as ever. I am glad that you brought him,
John. We needed a wolf-brother in our kingdom."

"But, Father! a wolf!" cried John, with a shudder. He had not
forgotten the horror of his first night alone in the forest, and the
long howl which had made him lose his senses. "Oh, will he not grow
big and eat us up, my father? Yes; that was why Brutus acted so
strangely. He knew it was no puppy, although I told him so."

"It is quite safe to keep him, John," said the Hermit. "We cannot turn
him out to starve, for he is too young to care for himself. You will
see to-morrow that he will play like any puppy. Brutus and he will be
great friends,--they are relatives already. Once upon a time Brutus
had a wolf for his ancestor. And as we ourselves know not from whom we
may be descended, so must we treat all creatures as our brothers. Yes,
this wolfkin will grow up lean and ugly-looking, like any wolf. But we
will teach him to be kind and gentle, John, even as Brutus is."

And the Hermit was right. The wolf-cub soon became the pet and
plaything of the animal kingdom. With food and care he grew into a
round, roly-poly ball of fur. He played merrily with Brutus and the
kittens. And though at first he was a bit rough, they and John taught
him better ways, so that he kicked and bit his friends no longer.

As the months went by, they watched him change gradually from cub to
wolf. They were sorry to see him lose his puppy looks and frisky
manners. But what could they do? It is a great pity, but no one has
yet discovered how to make babies of any sort remain babies. Gradually
he lost his roundness. He grew longer and longer, until he was
stretched out into four feet of gaunt yellowish-gray wolf. But still
he remained quiet and gentle with his friends, quick to learn and ready
to obey.

He was a perfectly good wolf, and he loved John so dearly that he could
scarcely be separated from him. He followed the boy wherever he went,
and lay down beside him when he slept, like any watch-dog. And though
he was so gentle in the animal kingdom, the Hermit knew that it would
go hard with any one who should try to hurt Wolf's little master.

Yet he