Long ago in the early summer of Galatina, Italy, lived a tall, handsome Wolf named Sir Lupo. This wolf was witty and rich and he spent his days in his villa, taking care of his five baby pups, since his wife, Lady Maria, had suddenly passed away after childbirth. Sir Lupo couldn’t always look after his pups though, as he had been assigned a military mission from Queen Sophia, the ruler of the land of Italy. He made many inquiries asking for a sweet, loving person to watch his children and keep his house clean while he was gone. For you see, this wolf was the richest wolf in all of the land and if the nanny did what Sir Lupo desired, they would receive a large reward.
Early one morning, eager to find the perfect nanny, Sir Lupo posted advertisements in every shop, school, and café in Galatina, and waited for anyone who was willing to manage the job. One day, an evil widow and her daughter, Camilla, discovered Sir Lupo’s wanted ad. Camilla, a young woman of twenty, had silky, copper hair that framed a creamy white complexion and emerald green eyes. Everyone was smitten with her beauty, but they did not know that on the inside, she was a nasty, heartless, selfish creature. While at the millinery shop, Camilla’s eyes landed on Sir Lupo’s written words: “Care for my pups and you will behold many riches.” Camilla did not know how to take care of little pups; nor had she ever cleaned her own house. Her housekeeper had always taken care of the house, since the widow and her daughter were too lazy to clean it themselves. However the prospect of being rich made Camilla forget about her shortcomings, and one crisp autumn morning she knocked on Sir Lupo’s tall wooden doors. A white-haired rabbit, dressed in the finest butler clothing, greeted the girl and brought her to his master.
“What brings you here, fair maiden?” asked Sir Lupo.
“I have come here to take care of your pups, Sir.” replied Camilla.
“You look like just the nanny I was hoping for!” responded the smitten wolf,













“Why don’t you come in and meet my children.” Camilla stepped in his massive, marble and stone atrium. She was bewitched by the grand architecture, coveting every inch of those jewel-encrusted chairs and fur-covered sofas. Sir Lupo led her into a luxurious sitting room with five small, furry wolves. They sat there staring at her warily, sensing she might not be as kind as she appeared to be. They did not have warm feelings about this new person, but their dad was eager to have her start. As soon as Sir Lupo left on his Queen’s quest, Camilla didn’t waste any time. Quickly and quietly, she ran up the stairs to Sir Lupo’s room to snatch up anything that looked valuable and appealing to her. At last she found an intriguing jewelry box encrusted with emeralds and rubies in the form of the letter M on its lid. She opened it up and her eyes could not but linger on the astonishing beauty of the diamond and gold bracelet that used to belong to Sir Lupo’s wife, Lady Maria. She quickly fastened the bracelet around her wrist and covered it with her sleeve. As days passed, dirty dishes rose from the sink until they could almost touch the ceiling, cobwebs were found in every corner, and the house developed a putrid stench that stunk even for flies to come around.
Sir Lupo was in for a surprise. Early in the morning, when he finally arrived from his long days of working for the Queen, he tiredly but eagerly made his way to his front door. As he was thinking of a clean, beautiful house inside, he smiled, but when he opened the door, his smile quickly turned into an angry, aggravated scowl. He barked for Camilla to come instantly and let out an avenging howl. She peeked out from the grand sofa, where she was taking a nap, and slowly made her way to greet the angry wolf. Sir Lupo was outraged in fury. Even with her head down, Camilla acted as if she did nothing wrong. “What did you do to my house!” demanded Lupo, ”Where are my kids, and the promises you made me?” Camilla rolled her eyes. What made Sir Lupo even more furious was when he saw his wife’s bracelet glimmering in the light, on Camilla’s wrist. He fiercely snatched the bracelet from her hand and uttered, “You don’t deserve a penny or my loyalty!” and with one swift move, he gobbled her up.
The wolf spent many more days carefully searching for someone to watch his children and at last he succeeded. This nanny was no ordinary creature. Her name was Amalia, and she was a wolf. When he first introduced his pups to her, she gently picked one up and carefully rocked it in her arms. Sir Lupo was sure he made the right choice, but wouldn’t be quite satisfied until he came back to see the results. Amalia spent everyday feeding and taking care of the pups, and made sure the floors were so clean that you could see your own reflection. She grew an immense love for these pups and they soon felt the same way. They played and laughed together with sunny grins constantly on their faces, but Sir Lupo would soon arrive and Amalia would have to leave.
When that day came, Sir Lupo was relieved to see a spotless house and happy kids to greet him. “Thank you for making my children feel so comfortable,” replied the wolf. “Now, what do you want from me, I’ll give you anything you desire.”
“Well,” responded Amalia. “ I want nothing from you, I had a wonderful time here.”
“But you must want something!” croaked Sir Lupo.
“Father, let her stay with us!” cried one of the children. Amalia let her head down and smiled.
“More than diamonds, more than money, or riches, the happiness of a child is the greatest gift I could ever receive.”
“I am astonished to see such kindness,” whispered Sir Lupo.
“I am afraid we live in troubled times. We are shocked when we see instances of kindness, and ignore those of cruelty” stated Amalia. They finally gave their precious farewells, and Sir Lupo reflected on how much Amalia reminded him of his wife, sweet Lady Maria.