There were twin brothers who lived near a forest long ago. Sharing dreams of far off places and adventure. One day while chasing each other in the woods and play fighting with wooden swords, they discovered two wolf pups, weak and languishing at the base of a large oak. There seemed to be no pack around. The brothers determined the wolves would die if left alone and decided to care for them. They took the pups back home and nursed them to health.
The first brother was kind and loved his pup with all his heart. Every yelp, whimper or howl drew a response of affection or a treat of food scraps. The brother lived to make the wolf happy, because he loved it, but also for fear of a wolf that is not happy.
The second brother also had a kind heart and loved his wolf. But when his wolf yelped or howled or whimpered, the brother listened. The brother tried to understand. This brother knew his wolf was a wild animal but did not fear it. He would take it out hunting in the evenings and wandering at night. All the while, watching, listening, learning to understand his wolf.
As time went by, this brother and his wolf grew strong. Their travels began to take them farther and farther away. They had grander and grander adventures. They were a perfect team. The wolf would always warn him of danger, or when needed, stalk quietly ahead, patrolling their way, invisible to all but the brother. They learned to communicate with subtlety, body language, quiet sounds. They learned to trust each other.
The first brother's wolf was always kept happy though, and grew weak and content to laze about. As the boy grew into a man he settled into a routine. Never wandering far, always catering to his moody wolf's needs.