The Grey Cub

           Hewasdifferentfromhisbrothersandsisters. Theirhairalreadybetrayedthereddishhueinheritedfromtheirmother,theshe-wolf;whilehealone,inthisparticular,tookafterhisfather. Hewastheonelittlegreycubofthelitter. Hehadbredtruetothestraightwolf-stock—infact,hehadbredtruetooldOneEyehimself,physically,withbutasingleexception,andthatwashehadtwoeyestohisfather’sone. 

           Thegreycub’seyeshadnotbeenopenlong,yetalreadyhecouldseewithsteadyclearness. Andwhilehiseyeswerestillclosed,hehadfelt,tasted,andsmelled. Heknewhistwobrothersandhistwosistersverywell. Hehadbeguntorompwiththeminafeeble,awkwardway,andeventosquabble, hislittlethroatvibratingwithaqueerraspingnoise(theforerunnerofthegrowl),asheworkedhimselfintoapassion. Andlongbeforehiseyeshadopenedhehadlearnedbytouch,taste,andsmelltoknowhismother —afountofwarmthandliquidfoodandtenderness. Shepossessedagentle,caressingtonguethatsoothedhimwhenitpassedoverhissoftlittlebody, andthatimpelledhimtosnugglecloseagainstherandtodozeofftosleep. 

           Mostofthefirstmonthofhislifehadbeenpassedthusinsleeping; butnowhecouldseequitewell,andhestayedawakeforlongerperiodsoftime,andhewascomingtolearnhisworldquitewell. Hisworldwasgloomy;buthedidnotknowthat,forheknewnootherworld. Itwasdim-lighted;buthiseyeshadneverhadtoadjustthemselvestoanyotherlight. Hisworldwasverysmall. Itslimitswerethewallsofthelair; butashehadnoknowledgeofthewideworldoutside, hewasneveroppressedbythenarrowconfinesofhisexistence. 

           Buthehadearlydiscoveredthatonewallofhisworldwasdifferentfromtherest. Thiswasthemouthofthecaveandthesourceoflight.