Here's why:
* The Setting: The story revolves around a long-standing feud between two families, the von Gradwitz and the Znaeym families, over a disputed piece of land. The protagonists, Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, are caught in a deadly struggle over this piece of land, fueled by generational hatred.
* The Turning Point: The story takes a dramatic turn when the men are trapped together under a fallen tree during a fierce storm. Their initial desire for revenge is overshadowed by the harsh reality of their situation. This shared vulnerability forces them to confront their animosity.
* The Realization: As they wait for help, Ulrich and Georg start to see each other as humans rather than enemies. They talk, they share memories, and begin to understand each other's perspectives. They realize that their decades-old feud is meaningless in the face of their shared situation.
* The Tragic Twist: Their reconciliation is ironically interrupted by the arrival of hunters, not from their families, but from a neighboring village. Before they can rectify the situation, the hunters mistaking them for wolves, fire upon them, ultimately sealing their fate.
The story serves as a cautionary tale about the destructiveness of holding on to grudges and how even the most bitter rivalries can fade when faced with shared adversity. The tragic ending highlights the irony that their lives, intertwined for decades through hatred, end tragically because of an external misunderstanding, not their own feud.