Shem and the Wolves
Janie Hofmann

All the animals came except for the wolves, so father sent me to their den but I went to the streets and knew a woman. I came back without the wolves and he beat me, but days later they arrived as did the woman. The rain began and the boat slid into the water, pitched and rolled for months. The she wolf and the woman whelped, the wolf had twins and father wanted to drown them, but feared losing favour. Once aground, he allowed no one to leave, so I threw down my shovel as did my brothers and weeks later the stench was unbearable. He unbolted the door and animals, men, wives spilled out like stones from a broken cart. I never saw the wolves again.

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