Rural Europe on the move English_E_version_all | Page 48

4
Learning
to listen
MARINA GUÉDON
W
e celebrate midsummer, sitting that the wolf is protected and hikers to the wolf, sweet little ‘chaperon
at a fireplace amidst a clearing fear crossing paths with the wolf in the rouge’ was not so sweet anymore.
forest. She marched through ‘his’ forest,
of Knyszyń forest, in Podlaskie
region, Northeast Poland. Under the
A few months before finding
accompanied by a bunch of noisy
shadows of the pines surrounding us, myself in the Polish forest, I woodcutters and other unpleasant
the wolf appears - in my mind -, the participated in a training on people. For the first time the wolf felt
wolf who gobbled sweet Little Red non-violent communication and fear in ‘his’ forest, he tried to reach
Riding Hood. The big bad wolf. He is mediation. During this training, I out to the newcomers and explain,
back in rural Europe. He is not only heard the ‘little red riding hood’ story but they just screamed at him and
in ‘my’ mind here and now, he scares - told from the perspective of the the woodcutter almost killed him
ordinary people. Shepherds are upset wolf. This was fascinating. Listening with his axe!