On a cold winter evening, forest ranger Stepan heard a faint noise near the fence of his cabin. When he opened the door, he saw a gaunt she-wolf, ribs showing, her gaze hungry yet calm. He hesitated for a moment… then, moved by the animal’s distress, he went to fetch some frozen meat and offered it to her.

This gesture, seemingly simple, was anything but trivial. Wolves almost never approach humans—unless driven by extreme hunger. Normally, they stay discreet within their territory, avoiding villages.

But the she-wolf came back. Once. Then again. And again. Stepan kept feeding her, despite the complaints of villagers who feared for their safety. He knew that a hungry wolf is far more dangerous than a fed one.

Then one day, the she-wolf stopped coming. The villagers were relieved. All except Stepan. He missed her. He had grown accustomed to her silent visits under the moonlight.

Two months later, a familiar growl sounded beneath his window. He rushed outside… and saw the she-wolf. But this time, she was not alone. At her side stood two young wolves, still and watchful. All three stared at Stepan without moving.

And in that moment, he understood. All that time, the she-wolf had been sharing the meat with her pups, somewhere deep in the forest. And now, she had brought them to him. As if to thank him. As if to say goodbye.

Then they vanished into the night. And wolves were never seen in the area again.