"The life of a wild animal always has a tragic end," as Ernest Thompson Seton said. This is the story of Metitsi Wahb, born a playful cub, orphaned young by the murder of his mother, his brothers and sister, raising himself surrounded by enemies, and growing to the fiercest creature anywhere in his vast range -- though showing himself a gentleman in the Yellowstone National Park.

And finally, he is laid low by a smaller, more cunning enemy, and defeated in the end by age and injury. "The life of a wild animal always has a tragic end."

I'll warn you this is a gentle and yet violent story, a natural violence, but not one you'd wish to face yourself, and not recommended for young children. This was the first full book I ever recorded for my "Stories from the Hiber-Nation" podcast, a natural choice, and in some ways my favorite. I hope I've done this fairly short story justice, and that you, too, will feel the passion for nature in Seton's writing.

Read by David "Grizzly" Smith