Old Sultan

A farmer once had a faithful dog called Sultan, who had grown old, and
lost all his teeth, so that he could no longer hold anything fast. One
day the farmer was standing with his wife before the house-door, and
said, "To-morrow I intend to shoot Old Sultan, he is no longer of any
use."

His wife, who felt pity for the faithful beast, answered, "He has
served us so long, and been so faithful, that we might well give him
his keep."

"Eh! what?" said the man. "You are not very sharp. He has not a tooth
left in his mouth, and not a thief is afraid of him; now he may be off.
If he has served us, he has had good feeding for it."

The poor dog, who was lying stretched out in the sun not far off, had
heard everything, and was sorry that the morrow was to be his last day.
He had a good friend, the wolf, and he crept out in the evening into
the forest to him, and complained of the fate that awaited him. "Hark
ye, gossip," said the wolf, "be of good cheer, I will help you out of
your trouble. I have thought of something. To-morrow, early in the
morning, your master is going with his wife to make hay, and they will
take their little child with them, for no one will be left behind in
the house. They are wont, during work-time, to lay the child under the
hedge in the shade; you lay yourself there too, just as if you wished
to guard it. Then I will come out of the wood, and carry off the child.
You must rush swiftly after me, as if you would seize it again from me.
I will let it fall, and you will take it back to its parents, who will
think that you have saved it, and will be far too grateful to do you
any harm; on the contrary, you will be in high favor, and they will
never let you want for anything again."

The plan pleased the dog, and it was carried out just as it was
arranged. The father screamed when he saw the Wolf running across the
field with his child, but when Old Sultan brought it back, then he was
full of joy, and stroked him and said, "Not a hair of yours shall be
hurt, you shall eat my bread free as long as you live." And to his wife
he said, "Go home at once and make Old Sultan some bread-sop that he
will not have to bite, and bring the pillow out of my bed, I will give
him that to lie upon."

Henceforth Old Sultan was as well off as he could wish to be.

Soon afterwards the wolf visited him, and was pleased that everything
had succeeded so well. "But, gossip," said he, "you will just wink an
eye if when I have a chance, I carry off one of your master's fat
sheep." "Do not reckon upon that," answered the dog; "I will remain
true to my master; I cannot agree to that." The wolf, who thought that
this could not be spoken in earnest, came creeping about in the night
and was going to take away the sheep. But the farmer, to whom the
faithful Sultan had told the wolf's plan, caught him and dressed his
hide soundly with the flail. The wolf had to pack off, but he cried out
to the dog, "Wait a bit, you scoundrel, you shall pay for this."

The next morning the wolf sent the boar to challenge the dog to come
out into the forest so that they might settle the affair. Old Sultan
could find no one to stand by him but a cat with only three legs, and
as they went out together the poor cat limped along, and at the same
time stretched out her tail into the air with pain.

The wolf and his friend were already on the spot appointed, but when
they saw their enemy coming they thought that he was bringing a sabre
with him, for they mistook the outstretched tail of the cat for one.
And when the poor beast hopped on its three legs, they could only think
every time that it was picking up a stone to throw at them. So they
were both afraid; the wild boar crept into the under-wood and the wolf
jumped up a tree.

The dog and the cat, when they came up, wondered that there was no one
to be seen. The wild boar, however, had not been able to hide himself
altogether; and one of his ears was still to be seen. Whilst the cat
was looking carefully about, the boar moved his ear; the cat, who
thought it was a mouse moving there, jumped upon it and bit it hard.
The boar made a fearful noise and ran away, crying out, "The guilty one
is up in the tree." The dog and cat looked up and saw the wolf, who was
ashamed of having shown himself so timid, and made friends with the
dog.
