The Wolf-Leader by Alexandre Dumas
"The Wolf-Leader" is a narrative by Alexandre Dumas that intertwines themes of ambition, sacrifice, and the supernatural. The story begins with a young Dumas, who, alongside expert hunters, fails to kill a wolf, only grazing it with his shot. This incident leads to a tale about Thibault, a shoemaker who curses a baron and, in turn, strikes a deal with a black wolf, who represents a diabolical force. Thibault's pact grants him the ability to wish misfortunes upon others, but with the burden of potentially losing his own well-being as he must sacrifice his hair for each wish.
As Thibault's wishes lead to increasingly dire consequences, including the loss of his loved ones and transformative powers akin to a wolf, his story unfolds with elements of dark magic and moral dilemmas. He experiences a descent into isolation and despair, culminating in a wish that reflects genuine selflessness, ultimately saving his soul. Through these events, "The Wolf-Leader" explores the duality of human nature, the price of greed, and the redemption found in self-sacrifice, set against a backdrop of folklore and mystical elements. This blend of adventure and moral lessons invites readers to reflect on the implications of their desires and actions.
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The Wolf-Leader
First published:Le Meneur des loups (1857; English translation, 1904)
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—occult
Time of work: The late eighteenth century
Locale: Villers-Cotterets, in Aisne, France
The Plot
Alexandre Dumas describes an incident from when he was a young man. He accompanied Mocquet, his father’s former gamekeeper, on a hunt after a wolf, along with some of the most expert hunters in the region. Each member of the party shoots at the wolf, but their bullets all miss, except for Dumas’, which passes through the wolf without wounding it. Mocquet explains that Dumas’ bullet hit the wolf because he had a scratched a cross on it but could not kill the wolf because it was not made of silver.
Mocquet then relates the story of a shoemaker named Thibault and the black wolf. As Thibault’s story begins, Jean, baron of Vez, is hunting a large deer. From his cottage in the woods, Thibault also sees the deer, and he wants it. The baron and his men abuse Thibault, who curses them in the name of the devil. He is rescued by the beautiful Agnelette and agrees to marry her.
The next day, a black wolf walking on its hind legs appears at Thibault’s door and delivers the deer to him. Recalling the curse, the wolf makes an agreement with Thibault that any evil thing he wishes on someone else will happen provided that if the wish does not turn out for Thibault’s immediate good, Thibault must give a certain number of his hairs to the devil, one for the first wish, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, exponentially. The wolf and Thibault then exchange rings to seal their pact.
Thibault wishes that an accident will befall the baron and the baron’s chief pricker, Marcotte. Marcotte immediately is killed, and the baron is severely wounded. A few of Thibault’s dark hairs turn bright red. He returns to Agnelette, but she is frightened of his ring. He tries to remove it and place it on her finger, but it will not fit on hers and clings tightly to his. Thibault then abandons Agnelette and sets his sights on Madame Polet, a rich widow. In an attempt to win her hand, he wishes away Landry, his cousin and chief rival for the widow’s hand. He is taken into the military and eventually becomes deathly ill. He is chased away by the widow’s servant and discovers that he has developed some of the powers of a wolf and has gathered his own pack.
Thibault then desires Madame Magloire, the beautiful young wife of a local bailiff. He is discovered by the baron of Vez, the Madame Magloire’s secret lover, and takes shelter in the forest with his pack. He wishes to exchange places with Baron Raoul, the lover of the Countess de Mont-Gobert. In response to this wish, he and Baron Raoul exchange bodies. He is discovered by the Comte de Mont-Gobert and killed, returning to his own body just as the local peasants are burning down his cottage around him. Thibault flees to the woods, and he and his pack are hunted by the baron of Vez, but without success.
Eventually, Thibault meets the black wolf again, one year after he made the agreement with the devil. He makes a new agreement to become a werewolf in exchange for having all his wishes fulfilled. He is pursued by the baron and witnesses Agnelette’s funeral. He prays that God will take his own life in exchange for Agnelette’s. This unselfish wish saves his soul.