The little girl ran into the woods behind the orphanage, free at last after the long winter, with the warmth of the spring sun on her back. She made her way to her very own special glade and sat down in the cool grass. She lay back in the grass, and started painting her dream in the clouds... A home, a mum to hug her whenever she needed a hug, and a dad to throw her in the air and catch her tight, perhaps sisters or brothers to play with... She sighed in contentment, unaware of the tears just behind her eyelids. .... The black wolf was hungry. It had been a harsh winter, food had been scarce. The little girl lying in the glade looked like an easy morsel, he was too weak to run after food. He walked up to her, and gave her a lick on the cheek, to get a taste before settling down to his first real meal in months. She jumped, her hand on her cheek, her tears flowing at last. "You kissed me," she cried softly, throwing her arms around his massive neck. "You kissed me! Nobody has ever kissed me before!" She hugged him hard against her wispy little body, stroking his shaggy, smelly fur, rubbing his ears, kissing him back. The wolf heaved a massive sigh and settled next to her, laying his huge head in her lap. It was going to be a while longer before he found another meal. Nobody had hugged him or stroked his fur before, and he liked it! ......... Aztek/Lale