“But why is the Wolf trying to make others love him, if it’s useless?” Vovka was trying to understand.
“I’m telling you, he’s got great strength, but he’d better use more brains. The Wolf just cannot get why nobody loves him. That’s why he does all these mean and naughty things. He is trying to show everybody how strong and swift he is, and capable of doing any mischief one can think of. Can anyone be loved for such things?”
“No, of course not,” agreed Vovka. “In this case everyone will only fear you. And you are not loved for what you do, anyway. You can be just loved, that’s it. Or people love you if you are kind and smart, if you help others or have sympathy for them. So to say, if you are good.”
“You are quite right here,” nodded Cheese-eater. “The only thing is the Wolf thinks that he is good, too.”
“How come?!” Vovka was indignant. “How can he consider himself good, if he hurts everybody? A good person is the one who does good things. Has he done anything kind?”
“Here you are right, but don’t be blind. Everybody considers himself good, nothing can be done about it. Everybody thinks that he is right and the other is wrong. That’s why there is so little understanding among people. And we don’t have much of it either in our fairy-tale world.”
“Can it be corrected somehow? There can surely be done something for all the people to understand and stop hurting each other.”
“Certainly, it can. In a very simple way.”
“Really? What way, will you tell me?”
“There is no great mystery in it, you know. To love and understand the other, you should put yourself in his place and try to feel and think the way he feels and thinks.”
“Is that all?” Vovka didn’t believe it.
“Strange, isn’t it?” smiled Cheese-eater. “That’s the only thing you have to do – just put yourself into his place and you’ll understand him.”
“I’ve got to try it. Do you think I can do that?”
“You?” Cheese-eater’s eyebrows went up. “Why, of course, you can! You’re kind, brave and smart. You will be able to do everything you wish, considering that your wishes are good.”
“Dear Cheese-eater, I don’t want to scare you, but right now my only wish is to understand what’s happening to the path. At first it ran and played, then it could hardly move and finally it stopped!”
“What do you mean it’s still? Can’t you see it goes farther?”
“The point is,” explained Vovka, ”that it does go farther, but doesn’t ‘lead’ any more. On the contrary, the legs stumble and stop. But why?”
