78 lines
4.2 KiB
Text
78 lines
4.2 KiB
Text
Old Sultan
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A farmer once had a faithful dog called Sultan, who had grown old, and
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lost all his teeth, so that he could no longer hold anything fast. One
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day the farmer was standing with his wife before the house-door, and
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said, "To-morrow I intend to shoot Old Sultan, he is no longer of any
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use."
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His wife, who felt pity for the faithful beast, answered, "He has
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served us so long, and been so faithful, that we might well give him
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his keep."
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"Eh! what?" said the man. "You are not very sharp. He has not a tooth
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left in his mouth, and not a thief is afraid of him; now he may be off.
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If he has served us, he has had good feeding for it."
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The poor dog, who was lying stretched out in the sun not far off, had
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heard everything, and was sorry that the morrow was to be his last day.
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He had a good friend, the wolf, and he crept out in the evening into
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the forest to him, and complained of the fate that awaited him. "Hark
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ye, gossip," said the wolf, "be of good cheer, I will help you out of
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your trouble. I have thought of something. To-morrow, early in the
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morning, your master is going with his wife to make hay, and they will
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take their little child with them, for no one will be left behind in
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the house. They are wont, during work-time, to lay the child under the
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hedge in the shade; you lay yourself there too, just as if you wished
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to guard it. Then I will come out of the wood, and carry off the child.
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You must rush swiftly after me, as if you would seize it again from me.
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I will let it fall, and you will take it back to its parents, who will
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think that you have saved it, and will be far too grateful to do you
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any harm; on the contrary, you will be in high favor, and they will
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never let you want for anything again."
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The plan pleased the dog, and it was carried out just as it was
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arranged. The father screamed when he saw the Wolf running across the
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field with his child, but when Old Sultan brought it back, then he was
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full of joy, and stroked him and said, "Not a hair of yours shall be
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hurt, you shall eat my bread free as long as you live." And to his wife
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he said, "Go home at once and make Old Sultan some bread-sop that he
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will not have to bite, and bring the pillow out of my bed, I will give
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him that to lie upon."
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Henceforth Old Sultan was as well off as he could wish to be.
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Soon afterwards the wolf visited him, and was pleased that everything
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had succeeded so well. "But, gossip," said he, "you will just wink an
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eye if when I have a chance, I carry off one of your master's fat
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sheep." "Do not reckon upon that," answered the dog; "I will remain
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true to my master; I cannot agree to that." The wolf, who thought that
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this could not be spoken in earnest, came creeping about in the night
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and was going to take away the sheep. But the farmer, to whom the
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faithful Sultan had told the wolf's plan, caught him and dressed his
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hide soundly with the flail. The wolf had to pack off, but he cried out
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to the dog, "Wait a bit, you scoundrel, you shall pay for this."
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The next morning the wolf sent the boar to challenge the dog to come
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out into the forest so that they might settle the affair. Old Sultan
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could find no one to stand by him but a cat with only three legs, and
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as they went out together the poor cat limped along, and at the same
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time stretched out her tail into the air with pain.
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The wolf and his friend were already on the spot appointed, but when
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they saw their enemy coming they thought that he was bringing a sabre
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with him, for they mistook the outstretched tail of the cat for one.
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And when the poor beast hopped on its three legs, they could only think
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every time that it was picking up a stone to throw at them. So they
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were both afraid; the wild boar crept into the under-wood and the wolf
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jumped up a tree.
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The dog and the cat, when they came up, wondered that there was no one
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to be seen. The wild boar, however, had not been able to hide himself
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altogether; and one of his ears was still to be seen. Whilst the cat
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was looking carefully about, the boar moved his ear; the cat, who
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thought it was a mouse moving there, jumped upon it and bit it hard.
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The boar made a fearful noise and ran away, crying out, "The guilty one
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is up in the tree." The dog and cat looked up and saw the wolf, who was
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ashamed of having shown himself so timid, and made friends with the
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dog.
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