One for Wolfie

how many wolves are there in a wolfgang?

If anyone has listened to that howling at close quarters, it is a sublime experience. It penetrates to the marrow of your bones. I do feel great passion for wolves. We are spoon fed lies and dangerous myths about them almost from birth. Ancient Christians believed them to be incarnations of all that was evil and logically defeat of a wolf bathed the world back into light. Recently, I picked up an old book called 'The Last Wolf', allegedly about the last wolf hunted in England (not Britain; the last was slain in Scotland approx 1745). Which fairy stories featuring wolves do you remember from childhood? Did they engender fear or did you dare to challenge those 'Big Bad Wolf' ideas. Look into a wolf's marvellous marble eyes and I guarantee you will fall in love. I'm about to write a longish essay on 'Wolves In Literature', so if you have any contributions, I would love to hear them. Julie Of The Wolves - that was an amazing book...

As many as you can 'pack' in, Freda. Boom boom.

Erm...I think FDP you are confusing your wolf with your fox.

To clarify the issue: I've met Wolfie, and she's foxy. (In a very, very Wolfish kind of way i.e not foxy at all but probably something very alluring that ends in -xy) (Wolfxy?) And, of course, Fish is very Wolf in a foxish kind of way. Not at all in a life-and-soul-of-the-party, kind-and-caring sort of way. Oh, no, no, no - there's nothing foxfish about wolfcare and there's not an ounce of woxy in folf. There's no soul in the Life Party and there's plenty more fish in the sea. Except Fish, who isn't in the sea at all - she's merely in the Harbour. I hope this clears everything up.

I have told you before, leave my friends alone.

earth to iceman - what's your problem? If it is 'in-season ticket' then you should learn a liitle about innocuous wordplay regarding the life-cycle of wolves. I'm sure wolfie would not take offence where none was meant. I sense a sense of humour bypass. It is quite common in these forums.

or a little, for that matter.

chill out ice ...

You can never have too many wolves, in season or not. How cruel can parents be though? If I ever met him, how could I resist saying 'What's the time, Mr Wolf?' I take no offence. Wolves take fences and chew them down.

I've heard that about wolves. Farmers are forever having to replaces fences because of it.

But surely, Amadeus, in order to bypass something, it has to exist in the first place, doesn't it? Iceman, you leave MY friends alone or the heat will get turned up and you will simply melt away.

Umm...farmers and wolves will always be a touchy duo. Play nicely now. Iceman has the best of intentions and I for one would deeply sad if he melted. I can stamp my paw on this one; it has my name on the thread.....

This will, hopefully, turn into an interesting thread about wolves and related topics; fairytales etc. Wolves are wonderful animals who've had a very bad press. Here's a piece about howling: The center of a wolf's universe is its pack, and howling is the glue that keeps the pack together. Some have speculated that howling strengthens the social bonds between packmates; the pack that howls together, stays together. That may be so, but chorus howls can also end with nasty quarrels between packmates. Some members, usually the lowest-ranking, may actually be "punished" for joining in the chorus. Whether howling together actually strengthens social bonds, or just reaffirms them, is unknown. Mmm... sounds familiar...