The Amber Wolves
This myth was started in Germany, after some hunters were attacked by a wild dog colony. The hunters started telling exaggerated tales of the dogs, formerly known as the German Shepherd breed, making them seem more mythical than they were. They described the dogs with the ferocity of wolves. Eventually, parents started telling children tales of these dogs, to scare them away from the dangerous, dragon-filled forests. Most of the stories followed the same premise, with some varying details. A lot of stories also include characters that act as a sort of "bad guy" tempting children into the woods. This character is often portrayed as a mischevious child, one most parents would want their children to stay away from.
Summary
Once there was a hunter living in the woods with his son and his daughter. The hunter always warned them to stay out of the wood, there were too many dangers. The daughter always obeyed without question. She never questioned her father on the dangers of the woods. The son, however, was mischevious, and almost never listened to his father.
When the children were 6 years old, the father left to go hunting. He did this once a week until they were 8, then went twice a week. When they were 10, he went 4 times a week. Then finaly, when they were 14 he started going every day. Each time he left he told them "Do not leave the house, and do not go into the woods. I will be back at the end of the day." And so it was this way, each day.
The two children did nothing but chores during the day. Some days were longer than others. If they finished their work, they got to relax, but they still stayed inside. The daughter was content, she enjoyed finding other things to do or games to play inside the house. The son, however, did not enjoy the house. He would alway try and step outside. His sister did her best to stop him, but she did not always succede. If the son did make it past her, she would not follow him outside, not even to drag him back inside.
At first, the son didn't go far, only a couple feet outside the door. Then he started to get braver. He started going further and further, but each time he would always come back. At the end of the day, he was punished by his father after he found out. This only fueled his determination to go further. No matter what the hunter and daughter said to him, they could not get him to stop going out of the house and towards the forest.
One day he finaly entered. He was so intrigued by the forest, he kept walking. His sister called out to him untill she couldn't breathe, but it was too late. She couldn't see him anymore. He never returned that night, or the next day, or any day at all.
The hunter searched all over the forest for him. The daughter stayed lonely at home. One day, the hunter returned with the pelts of some amber colored pelts behind him, and his normal brown leather bag was stained red. He had found his son, or what was left. The son had been torn apart by feral German Shepherds. All that was left was the bloody bones of the son. The hunter got revenge on a few of the dogs, but still some lurk in those forests to this day. Watch your backs when you're in the German forests.
The True Story
In reality, a story similar to this did happen. A small family living out in the woods did lose a son to German Shepherds. The father was teaching his son the trades of the hunt, while his wife and daughter stayed at home, taking care of and defending the home. The family had heard rumors of wild German Shepherds existing, and feared the possibilty. The father and son decided to try and hunt the dogs, to protect their home. Both were proficent hunters, so there was little worry about the dogs.
One day, when the father and son set out of the hunt, they decieded to split up to lay the traps. While setting the traps, the son came across a German Shepherd den. Unfortunatly, the mother was not far. As he debated on whether to put down the puppies or not as they could be dangerous as adults, the mother attacted, defending her den. The wrath of a mother is not to be underestimated. She tore the boy apart, leaving him in complete peices. The father had heard the screams and when he arrived too late, he took revenge on the mother and the pups.
This story spread like wildfire across communities and homes all across Germany, and even to some neighboring lands. As it spread, parents used it to show their children the dangers of the forest. The story also changed slightly, morphing into a message of "Your parents are always right! Stay away from the woods!" The story has proved to be quite effective.
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