Water under the Bridge

Water under the Bridge

Once upon a time, there lived a hunter's daughter, whose, main entertainment was to loiter the forest behind and to visit her animal friends. She was in particular very friendly with a not-so-bad wolf. She often met the wolf at a bridge where she would call out his name and he would appear. She was very fond of the wolf. He was always jesting at her and playing with her. Now one day, her father, the hunter told her that she was to remain in the house for three days as he was going for a hunter's convention (what they spoke of, she never quite comprehend). She agreed under one condition that she gets some form of entertainment. Not being a very adventurous (irony) person, he allowed her to invite her friends, such as the sparrows and squirrels (who also brought their own kind) to the house. One the first day, she called him from her window and he appeared at the bridge. She was excited. Now on the second and third day, (thanks to her new friends) she was too busy entertaining that she did not call the wolf. In her daily association with her new friends, she started pondering about the wolf. Her new friends had warned her not to fall head over heels with the wolf. After all he is a wolf. But she knew he was a not-so-bad wolf. She wondered if he thought of her. What if he was just being gracious and entertaining her? After all she was not his type. He always thought she was a child. She never behaved like a lady in front of him. She put the thought aside.

On the fourth day, she raced to the bridge and yelled his name. Then something struck her. She was the one calling out his name. He never once called her, unless he was passing by that place. He appeared and they had a short conversation. The wolf was his usual self but he had not noticed the change in her. He left shortly. The hunter's daughter lingered on. She saw the water running down the stream under the bridge. She peered down and saw her reflection. She had dark black eyes. The wolf never once complimented on her looks. She was never pretty, to him. Maybe she was not his kind. She dipped her feet into the water. The coldness penetrated into her bones and she jerked. Something fell off her pocket. It was a carefully crafted gift for the wolf. But she forgot to give it to him. She suppose he would not like it. It would be an imposition for him. What would a gift mean to him after all? She dipped her feet in again. She was getting used to the coldness.

She heard her father's horse. She looked back at her reflected. Pulled her hair up into a bun and decided that it was time to grow up.

Unknown to her a pair of eyes was watching her from the forest...