Answer:
One theme of the story is the danger of holding on to past grudges, which is revealed by the fate of both men at the end of the story. In the story, when Znaeym and Gradwitz meet in the forest, their bitterness towards each other is apparent:
“The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand and hate in his heart.”
Even when they are both trapped beneath a tree, they continue to insult each other. However, after a time, they decide to put their long history of conflict behind them:
“How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode into the market-square together. No one living can remember seeing a Znaeym and a von Gradwitz talking to one another in friendship. And what peace there would be among the forester folk if we ended our feud to-night.”
While the conflict between the two men is resolved, the story ends by implying that they are found by wolves. This indicates the author’s message that holding onto past grudges can have dangerous consequences.
Explanation:
