Beyond the town there stood a wood where moonlight thinned to gray. Each mother warned her child to leave before the end of day. A hunter prowled beneath the boughs, but one girl said, "I know I've walked these paths for my whole life.” And through the dark she’d go. The first night, branches cracked behind. She ran until they ceased. The second, glowing eyes appeared. She climbed beyond the beast. The third night, from the dark he spoke: “Well played, my little friend.” She smiled. “You ought to learn by now how every hunt will end.” Through the briar, through the pine, home again and doing fine. Laugh at danger, laugh and run—Another night, another won. She only had to reach the light, and every night she’d done. But somewhere deep among the trees, the wolf resumed his hunt. She heard his voice at end of month. "Good maiden, you are late." He spoke as though he were a host and she had missed a date. The wolf sat calmly in the dark and so she stopped and grinned. She sized him up the way one does an impish but good friend. “You’ve failed to catch me thirty times.” The wolf displayed no shame. She laughed and asked “So why go on?” "'Cause you've misjudged the game. You know one night your luck will fail." She smirked at his old threat. “Each time you never catch me.” The wolf replied, “Not yet.” Through the briar, through the pine, home again and doing fine. Laugh at danger, laugh and run—Another night, another won. She only had to reach the light, and every night she’d done. But somewhere deep among the trees, the wolf resumed his hunt. Then a night was cold and still. No branches cracked behind. No golden eyes between the trees. No paw prints there to find She smiled. “At last he’s given up.” And walked the final mile. She reached her home, she barred the door and wore a victor’s smile. She climbed the stairs and lit one lamp, then tucked herself in bed. “No wolf tonight,” she whispered low and laid her weary head. A shadow moved behind her chair a quiet voice was spun: “You needed victory every night.” The maiden turned. And saw a smile. I ONLY NEEDED ONE So mock the teeth that miss your throat and call the danger small. Declare yourself immortal each time you do not fall. Walk closer to the edge each night because you’ve never slipped. Keep drawing from the poisoned cup because you’ve only sipped. You count the nights you cheated death; the cleverness you've done. The wolf does not remember those... The wolf remembers one.
