La tuile à loups (1972)

In [year unspecified], young Maryse arrives at her uncle Antoine Fenot’s home in the village of Jasseix, in the Massif Central. Her coach, which has come from Muret, was held up by the snow and had to be pushed. On that occasion, Dédé Bélard put his back out. He has his lower-back pain treated by Alix Ravenel, who sometimes acts as a traditional bonesetter. Ravenel lives apart from the others with his wife Thérèse, his young son Philippe, and his elderly mother, nicknamed la Thibaude. During the night, they heard the wolf tile sounding. In former times, roofers would fit a kind of whistle into it; when the north wind blew through, it heralded severe cold and the arrival of hungry wolves. Word of this spreads. Justin Bélard, his son François, known as Tirette (the local word for a ferret, since François was an especially restless child), and his brother Dédé share Ravenel’s concerns. But the schoolteacher Berthet and, above all, the mechanic Quinton, the village mayor, scoff at these beliefs from a bygone age: no one has seen wolves in the area for half a century. For fear of ridicule, Quinton refuses to notify the subprefecture. Ravenel, for his part, sets out to warn the isolated hamlet of Chaillet. Braver than Dédé, Tirette goes with him. Lost in a snowstorm, the two spend the night in a shepherd’s hut. The next morning, they reach Chaillet, where the wolf tile has also rumbled. In Jasseix, the power lines have come down and the telephone is out. The village is completely cut off. At Ravenel’s home, la Thibaude prepares loubade, an ointment made from medicinal herbs that is supposed to heal wolf bites. In the village, an escaped dog sparks the beginnings of a panic. Speaking through the town crier, the mayor urges everyone to stay calm and forbids the spreading of false reports. The next morning, Tirette sets out to check his thrush traps. His father guesses that a little romance has blossomed between him and Maryse. A wolf lurking beneath a thicket attacks Tirette’s dog. The boy shoots the animal, which is extremely aggressive. Later, while reciting an incantation, la Thibaude predicts that from then on all wolves will fear him. Justin Bélard brings the beast’s carcass to the town hall. Ravenel lays it in front of the church, recalling the old days when the Druids challenged the new Christian religion. The priest celebrates a thanksgiving service attended by the whole village and implores divine protection. As a safety precaution, Dédé Bélard and his family take refuge at his brother Justin’s home. With help from Joseph Fenot, Antoine’s son, Tirette sets a wolf trap. The villagers side with Ravenel, who advises everyone to stay safely indoors. The mayor resents this. The following night, the wolves attack the Bélard farm. Evading the trap, they get into a henhouse. They attack Tirette and lightly wound his arm. At Froyard’s, la Thibaude’s brother, they break down a door and tear a horse to pieces. The next day, they invade the village. One of them attacks the priest’s housekeeper, who is saved at the last moment. The priest asks Antoine Fenot to discreetly fetch some loubade from Ravenel. Having caught a chill, la Thibaude has taken to her bed. Before she dies, she repeats the words “black wolf” several times. A dark-coated wolf appears; Tirette refuses to take aim at it. The wolves leave the village. La Thibaude is buried. Maryse leaves for Muret. Tirette runs to meet the coach. Maryse promises to come back for the next holiday.