That night, Pyotr Andreyevich couldn’t sleep—his sciatica was acting up again, and the piercing pain gripped his body.
He had tried every remedy imaginable, but nothing brought relief—except for one thing: the miraculous ointment from his neighbor, Agafya Vasilyevna.
Thanks to it, he could at least move around a little.
By morning, the pain had slightly subsided, allowing him to get out of bed.
As he approached the window, he wasn’t surprised by what he saw outside: his sciatica always warned him of bad weather.
Rain was pouring, steadily washing out the forest trails.
The forester stepped away from the window and filled a bowl with water for Kamal—his loyal companion.
A year ago, he had found the dog in the woods, on the brink of death.
In a brutal fight with a predator, the dog had suffered a serious leg injury, leaving him barely able to move.
Pyotr Andreyevich took him in, nursed him back to health, and Kamal became not just a pet, but a true friend.
The dog turned out to be incredibly intelligent: he could find any animal, flawlessly follow his master’s commands, and became the only living soul with whom the forester shared his solitude in the endless forest.
The man had lived alone for many years.
His wife, Maria Leonidovna, had died of a heart attack ten years ago, and his daughter Nadya had long since lost contact with home.
She had always dreamed of leaving the village and finding a rich life in the city.
As soon as she turned eighteen, she left, abandoning her parents, and never returned.
Her dream came true—she married a wealthy man, but the marriage quickly fell apart.
Then came a series of events: more marriages, divorces, pregnancy, an abortion…
Nadya could never find her path and clung to every opportunity.
Throughout it all, Pyotr Andreyevich and his wife tried to help her financially, despite their modest means.
Maria Leonidovna often cried, worrying about her daughter, and eventually her heart gave out.
When she died, their daughter didn’t even come to the funeral, despite the urgent telegram.
She didn’t call, didn’t send a word.
That wounded Pyotr Andreyevich deeply, and he stopped trying to reconnect.
So he was left completely alone in his small cabin—but his job as a gamekeeper brought him joy and purpose.
One evening, there was an unexpected knock on the door. Visitors were rare, so the man was surprised.
Opening the door, he saw three men.
One of them was the local police officer, Kirill Maksimovich. Next to him stood a well-dressed man in his 40s—clearly some city official.
Behind them was a scrawny young man with a lifeless look in his eyes.
Pyotr Andreyevich immediately realized the young man had recently been released from prison. But why were they here?
He invited the guests in and offered them tea with lingonberry jam.
The officer eagerly accepted the treat, the official politely declined—his refusal clearly born of arrogance.
The young man, shy and uncomfortable, didn’t dare touch the tea.
The officer spoke first:
“Pyotr Andreyevich, we have a special request. We’d like to place Timur Alexandrovich Kolesnikov—a former convict—in your care for rehabilitation.
His crime was a result of youthful impulsiveness and was relatively minor.
He’s been out for a year now but shows no interest in changing.
The official added that he represented a social aid foundation and was assigned as a mentor to people who’d lost their way.
The foundation helped orphans, the homeless, and ex-convicts get a second chance.
They were placed under the care of responsible citizens doing meaningful work.
Now it was Pyotr Andreyevich’s turn.
In return, he would receive a bonus to his pension.
Pyotr Andreyevich welcomed the idea enthusiastically—at last, his solitude would be broken, and Timur struck him as sincere and kind-hearted.
Their life together, however, didn’t start smoothly.
Timur was withdrawn and quiet, and Pyotr Andreyevich didn’t push him with nosy questions.
With time, the forester gradually involved the young man in his work.
Eventually, Timur grew more confident and found his place.
Kamal also accepted him—dogs sense good people.
He played with Timur, slept at his feet, and accompanied him on walks.
One frosty winter morning, they went on their usual patrol.
Suddenly, Kamal let out an anxious bark.
The men rushed toward the sound and froze: a young she-wolf was caught in a trap.
She had clearly been fighting for her life for a long time.
“Damn Makarov!” hissed Pyotr Andreyevich.
“That poacher’s deadly traps are all over the forest—so many innocent animals have died because of him!”
Dmitry Makarov was a notorious local poacher whose cruelty knew no bounds.
His traps had become a scourge on the forest’s wildlife.
“Timur, stay back. She may be weak, but she can still attack. Kamal, quiet!” the forester warned.
Carefully, Pyotr Andreyevich approached the wolf, speaking softly to calm her, and freed her leg with practiced hands.
She whimpered in pain, but was too weak to resist.
Using two sturdy pine branches, he made a stretcher and carried her home—she needed help.
With Agafya Vasilyevna’s famous ointment, they began her treatment.
They named the wolf Rama and focused on her recovery.
Surprisingly, she adapted quickly, stayed calm, and didn’t show aggression.
Soon, Pyotr Andreyevich could even feed her from his hand.
Rama stayed with them until the end of winter.
When she started whining and howling restlessly, the forester knew it was time to let her go.
“I think it’s too early. Her leg isn’t strong enough,” Timur said.
“No, it’s time. It’s mating season—she’s anxious because of that,” the forester explained.
Two weeks later, tragedy struck the village. Makarov’s daughter, Veronika, went missing.
She had left the village three years earlier, found a job in the city, and met a wealthy man.
In rare phone calls, she told her mother she’d soon be a rich man’s wife.
But recently, she returned home—pregnant.
When her fiancé found out, he threw her out.
His wealthy parents had other plans and didn’t even know about her.
Seeing his pregnant daughter on the doorstep, Makarov flew into a rage.
He grabbed a shovel and chased her. The terrified girl ran off, and her disappearance sparked a massive search effort.
The temperature was dropping fast, and every effort was made to save her.
Pyotr Andreyevich, Timur, and loyal Kamal joined the search.
They went deep into the forest, but found nothing.
Twilight was falling when a familiar figure appeared—it was Rama, their rescued wolf.
She looked at Pyotr Andreyevich, then dashed ahead, stopping every few meters and glancing back, as if urging them to follow.
The forester instantly understood.
“Follow her!” he shouted to Timur, and they ran after the wolf.
As they neared the river, they heard a scream—Veronika was thrashing in an ice hole, unable to climb out.
Timur acted fast: grabbing a long stick, he stepped onto the thin ice, carefully approaching her, and extended the makeshift rescue pole.
Veronika clung to it with all her strength, and soon Timur pulled her to safety.
He quickly wrapped her in his coat and carried her to the nearby ambulance.
She was taken to the hospital, and Makarov was brought in for questioning.
Timur was deeply concerned and frequently asked her mother about Veronika’s condition.
She reassured him—her daughter would be fine and would soon return.
Two days later, Timur couldn’t bear the wait and went to the hospital.
He came back—with Veronika.
“Pyotr Andreyevich, can Veronika stay with us for a while?
She has nowhere else to go,” he asked.
Makarov had been released—Veronika’s mother persuaded her not to file charges, blaming her husband’s actions on temporary insanity.
Veronika agreed, hoping to avoid more conflict. Makarov carried on as if nothing had happened.
Pyotr Andreyevich warmly welcomed Veronika into his home.
That evening, though, he visited Makarov.
Looking him in the eye, the forester made it clear he knew everything—about the traps, the illegal hunting, the sale of wild meat to restaurants.
He warned Makarov to leave Veronika alone—or he’d go to the police.
The poacher just sneered.
Meanwhile, something blossomed between Timur and Veronika.
They spent all their free time together, and Pyotr Andreyevich knew a wedding was on the horizon.
And he was right: in spring, Veronika gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and soon after, Timur proposed.
For Pyotr Andreyevich, it was a true gift of fate—his once-lonely home was now filled with laughter, conversations, and joy.
As for Makarov, fate had a lesson for him too.
One day, during another “hunt,” he got so caught up chasing a wolf that he stepped into one of his own traps.
Agonizing pain shot through his leg—he was stuck.
He tried to free himself for hours, to no avail.
As he was bracing for the worst, he heard familiar footsteps.
It was Pyotr Andreyevich, on his evening patrol.
Seeing the injured man, the forester didn’t hesitate—he freed him from the trap and carried him home, then called an ambulance.
That incident changed Makarov completely.
He personally combed the forest, dismantling every trap he had set, and never laid another one again.
Sometime later, he came to Pyotr Andreyevich’s home, sincerely apologized for everything.
They forgave him and even introduced him to his granddaughter—giving him a chance to redeem his past.
Now, Makarov was a changed man, and life in the forest continued in harmony.
