Wolfskin- a popular Inuit story featured in The Last Wolf show.

There was once a young girl who lived with her father and her mother in a shack in the middle of a snowy plain, and they never had enough to eat. One day she was out foraging for food, when she noticed a dark shape way off in the distance. As she got closer, she saw that it was a freshly-killed caribou. She went to get her father, and they dragged the carcase back to the shack, and for the next six nights they feasted. On the seventh night, when there was nothing left except bones with the marrow sucked out of them, the girl was lying in bed and thought she saw an animal's tail disappearing into the darkness beyond the open door.

Next morning, when she was out foraging, she found another dead caribou. In the evening, in the middle of the feast, a young man dressed in wolf skins burst into the shack. "I'm in love with you," he said to the girl. "You must come away with me."

Another young man entered. He was dressed in wolverine skins. "I love you more than he does," he said. "It's me you must come away with." The two suitors began to fight, and the girl's father told them to leave the shack. "Come on you two. Outside. No brawling in here." All through the night there were the sounds of terrible conflict. The girl desperately wanted to go outside, but her father forbade her. When morning came she finally managed to get out of the hut. There was a trail of blood stretching away to the horizon. The girl followed the trail until she found a dead wolverine. There was more blood, stretching away into the distance. She returned to the shack, wondering what was going on.

That evening an old man came into the shack. He said to the girl, "My son is dying for love of you. You must come with me now." The girl followed him out into the darkness. A voice said, "Climb up on my back." She reached out and touched fur. She climbed up on to the back of what seemed to be a huge wolf, and they galloped off into the mouth of the night.

When the running stopped, it was still dark. The girl climbed off the wolf's back and reached out, and her hand was grasped by a human hand. She was led into a house where, in the corner of a room, was the young man dressed in wolf skins, terribly wounded. For weeks the girl nursed him until he was well again. Then they got married.

The girl and Wolfskin lived happily together. Every night Wolfskin went out hunting, and would stay out all night. She often begged him to let her go along, but he always refused. Then one evening he said, "There's a dance in the hall tonight. Why don't we go along. You'll enjoy it."

Wolfskin's Bride had never danced before. She had a wonderful time being burled around the room by her handsome husband to the wild music of the fiddle and the squeezebox. It was very hot in the hall, and after a while she went outside to get some fresh air. When she was out in the snow a little girl came up to her. "Come with me. My Granny's got a special present for you." Wolfskin's Bride didn't know these people very well, and didn't want to offend anyone. So she went along with the little girl.

They came to a cave and went inside. There was an old woman, stirring a bubbling pot over a fire. "Take your clothes off," said the old woman, "and I'll wash you. You smell of sweat. You can't go back to the dance like that; what will your husband say?" So Wolfskin's bride took off her clothes, the little girl did the same, and the old woman began to wash them both. With each drop of water the bride got smaller and the little girl grew taller. When she was the size of a grown woman, the little girl put on the Bride's clothes and ran out of the cave. The Bride put on the little girl's clothes as best she could, and followed her footprints through the snow. They led back to the hall.

Inside the hall the little girl was dancing with Wolfskin and they were plainly having a good time. Wolfskin's bride went up to him, but he just said, "Little girl, why are you out so late? You should be at home in bed." She went out into the snow, and sat down and cried. Another little girl came up to her. "Come with me. My Granny's got something special for you." What should she do? She had nothing to lose, so she went along.

They came to a big house and went in. In one of the rooms sat an old woman, stirring a bubbling pot over a fire. "Take off your clothes and let me wash you." With every drop of water, Wolfskin's Bride grew taller, until she was her normal size again. "Now," said the old woman, "put on those clothes and take this." She handed her a little glass phial full of liquid. "Go home. You'll find your husband asleep, next to the False Bride. Pour this liquid in her ear, drop by drop."

So she went home. In the bedroom Wolfskin lay asleep with the False Bride by his side. Wolfskin's true Bride tiptoed up to the bed and unstoppered the phial. She began to pour the liquid into the False Bride's ear. With each drop the False Bride grew smaller. When, at last, she was the size of a little girl again, she woke up. She screamed when she realised what had happened, and ran out of the door. Wolfskin woke. "I knew there was something wrong. It's the spirit of the wolverine, trying to come between us."

"But he didn't succeed," said his Bride. "Now we're stronger than ever."

After that they lived happily together for many years. Every night Wolfskin went out hunting, and, although she sometimes begged to go along, he would never take his Bride. Then, one evening, when they were old people and sitting by the fire, he said, "Have you ever wondered why I go hunting at night and won't take you with me?"

"I have wondered," she said, "and I know why. When you go out at night, you become a wolf."

"I was born a wolf. I became a man for love of you, and now I'm getting old I'd like to become a wolf once more. But I don't want to leave you behind."

"You don't have to," she said. "I'll go with you."

They gathered their children together, and shared out their few possessions between them. There was a lot of hugging and kissing, and some tears were shed. When the children had gone, the two old people went out and crouched down on all fours in the snow. And a moment later, two wolves ran off together into the woods, to begin a new life.