The city of Yakutsk in Siberia, Russia, is a cold place known as the "Ice City". Even in the height of summer, the night temperature is only about 6 degrees Celsius. For a three-year-old, this barren and cold place is full of fear of the unknown.
Three-year-old Karina lives in such a city. She has dear parents, but they have to go out to work during the day, and Karina can only stay at home with her nanny.
She had never stepped outside of this house in her life, and was curious about everything around her. Karina is a lively and cheerful child, and she always dreams of having a companion to play with and explore the unknown world.
Seeing this, her parents decided to give her a puppy as a companion. When a gray and black puppy appeared in front of Karina, she danced with joy.
She named the puppy "Nida" and naively considered her a good friend. Every morning, Karina was the first to run to Nida's side and say good morning to him.
When eating, Karina always feeds Nida the best part first. Before going to bed, Karina would hold Nida in her arms. Nada became her most faithful companion in this loneliness.
And Nida also likes Karina very much. It always circled around Karina, rubbing its wet nose against her palms.
When Karina laughs, she cries out happily. Karina's laughter and Nida's cries also became the music of the family. One day in July 2014, there was an accident at this home.
Early that morning, Karina's father said goodbye to her as is customary and left for work. Karina looked in the direction her father had left, curious about where he went every day.
She is determined to follow her father and explore his mysterious "work". While the nanny was busy with the housework, Karina quietly followed her father out of the house, and Nida followed with her.
After crossing a few streets, Karina lost her father's sight, surrounded by unfamiliar street scenes, and she panicked and didn't know where she was. She hurriedly looked around, but couldn't see any familiar signs.
At this moment, a quiet forest came into view. Kalimna plucked up her courage and took Nida's paw and walked into the forest. She believes there will be an exit on the other side of the forest.
However, when she passed through the towering ancient trees and turned back, the direction of the entrance had completely disappeared. The woods were darkly lit, and all around was quiet, except for the rustle of the wind through the leaves.
Karina became frightened and shouted "Daddy" and "Mommy", but no one answered. She cried in despair. Nida looked at her helplessly, trying to stroking her hand with her paws, sobbing to comfort her.
The woods are a labyrinth for three-year-old Karina. Everywhere she looked, there were jagged shadows of trees. The sunlight casts dappled light and shadows through the leaves, spreading patches of color on the woodland.
But even when the sun is shining, there is a cold atmosphere peculiar to the forest. Karina's path to which she came was long gone, and every plant and tree here was an unknown symbol in her eyes.
Karina didn't know which way to go, so she hid behind a big tree, hoping someone would pass by and take her home. But time passed minute by minute, and there was no other sound except the birds and insects in the forest.
She began to regret that she should not have run to this inexplicable world alone, which seemed to her like an unfathomable labyrinth full of terrible traps.
By the time it was getting late and the temperature had plummeted, Karina was already crying. Nida meekly leaned into her arms and warmed her with her own body heat. And so they made it through the first cold night.
The next day, Karina wakes up and continues to find her way through the woods. From time to time, Nida sniffed on the ground, hoping to find a way out. When Karina feels hungry and thirsty, Nida will find wild fruits and water to fill her stomach.
Whenever Karina is scared, Nida will circle around her, trying to distract her. However, no matter how hard you try, the way out seems to be out of reach.
Karina wandered the forest day after day, and her strength gradually faded. At first, she was crying and trying to find her parents, but by the end, she had become silent.
Naida is Karina's only sustenance in this labyrinth. Every time Karina sits on the ground in despair and refuses to walk, Nida will always gently kiss ** on the cheek and hand, as if to say "Don't be afraid, I'll be with you".
Karina also knew that without Nida by her side, she would not be able to support herself for a long time. Every night, Karina hugs Nida to keep warm. Nida's body temperature made her feel at ease and feel dependent.
Sometimes Karina was too tired, and Nida would gently grab the corner of her dress with her mouth and make her move. Looking at Nida's big eyes, Karina will once again muster up the courage to move forward.
They relied on each other and tried to survive, surviving the terrible years in this unknown forest day by day. Heroic puppy, stand up to the fight.
On the evening of the fourth day of being lost in the woods, a giant gray beast appeared behind the thick grass in the distance, its form pulling out a long, terrifying shadow in the setting sun.
It was a Siberian gray wolf, several times the size of Nida. It slowly approached Karina and Nida, its green eyes shining with a longing gaze.
Nida's hair stood on end, and she let out a low, threatening roar. It stood in front of Karina, trying to protect her. But the gray wolf pressed closer, and Nida's cry grew weaker and weaker.
Karina was so frightened that she cowered into Nida's arms, her hands clasping Nida's neck. Nida felt her fear and barked at the gray wolf even more violently. The small dog knew that he was no match for the beast, but he was still determined to fight it without hesitation, just to protect his little master.
At that moment, a loud shot of shotguns pierced the sky. The gray wolf was startled and quickly fled the scene. It turned out that a nearby hunter happened to be passing by and heard the movement and rushed to the rescue.
Karina, who had been taken out of the woods by the hunters, was exhausted. After she cried and told the hunter about her and Nida's loss in the forest, the hunter immediately contacted her parents.
When Karina returned home safe and sound, her parents were ecstatic. It turns out that the news of Karina's disappearance has long since spread, and the whole city is searching for her whereabouts. The parents hugged their daughter and wept bitterly, thanking God for her favor. And Nida became the real hero in this rescue.
Defying the threat of wild beasts, it sacrificed its life to protect Karina. It was with it that Karina was able to survive in the woods. Later, when Karina was in a desperate situation and couldn't move, Nida took the initiative to run out of the forest to find rescue, and saved the little master's loyal dog in her own way, which will be remembered forever.
Karina's story and Nida's actions move the city. People praised Nida for being loyal and intelligent, and for being a loyal friend of mankind. Statues have been erected in the city to commemorate this cross-species friendship.
Since then, Nida has been treated extremely highly at Karina's home. It became a member of the family, a heroic guardian. Whenever Karina recalls the moment of fear of being lost in the woods, Nida would meekly lean on her lap as if to say, "Don't worry, I'm here."
It was only when Karina grew up that she realized how slim it was for a three-year-old child to survive in the primeval forests of Siberia. Without Nida's protection and companionship, she would have frozen to death and starved to death in a corner of the woods, becoming food for the beast's belly. It was Nida, a small life, who changed her fate in her own way.
Every time she thought of this, Karina would hug Nida and whisper in her ear, "Thank you, you kept me alive". Nida would meekly lick her hands as if to say "You are my family".
Time flies, Karina grows up** and leaves home to study in other places. Nida is also old, frail, and has limited mobility. Even though the two places are separated, Karina still visits her hometown and accompanies the aging Nida. She knew that Nida had guarded her childhood with her life.
When we hear about the touching stories of animals saving humans, we often put aside the differences between the two for a while, and only see the common spirit outside the living body. It is a kind of mutual support and protection that transcends species. Perhaps it is this spirit that sustains the world and makes it warm and beautiful.