Stranica 244 [244]
196 GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.
I will come out of the wood and steal away the child; you —
must rush after me, as if to save it from me. ‘Then I must
. let it fall, and you must bring it back again to its parents, who
will think that you have saved it, and will be much too grateful
to do you any harm; on the contrary, you will be received into
full favour, and they will never let you want for anything again.”
The dog was pleased with the plan, which was carried out
accordingly. When the father saw the wolf running away with
his child he cried out, and when old Sultan brought it back
again, he was much pleased with him, and patted him, saying,
“Not a hair of him shall be touched; he shall have
food and shelter as long as he lives.” And he said to his wife,
“Go home directly and make some good stew for old
Sultan, something that does not need biting; and get the
pillow from my bed for him to lie on.”
From that time old Sultan was made so comfortable that
he had nothing left to wish for. Before long the wolf paid
him a visit, to congratulate him that all had gone so well.
“ But, old fellow,” said he, "you must wink at my making
off by chance with a fat sheep of your master’s; perhaps one
will escape some fine day.”
* Don’t reckon on that,” answered the dog ; " I cannot con¬
sent to it; I must remain.true to my master.”
But the wolf, not supposing it was said in earnest, came
sneaking in the night to carry off the sheep. But the master,
who had been warned by the faithful Sultan of the wolf’s inten¬
tion, was waiting for him, and gave him a fine hiding with the
threshing-flail. So the wolf had to make his escape, calling
out to the dog,
“You shall pay for this, you traitor!”
The next morning the wolf sent the wild boar to call out
the dog; and to appoint a meeting in the wood to receive
satisfaction from him. Old ‘Sultan could find no second but
a cat with three legs; and as they set off together, the poor
thing went limping along, holding her tail up in the air. The
wolf and his second were already on the spot; when they saw
their antagonists coming, and caught sight of the elevated
tail of the cat, they thought it was a sabre they were bringing
with them. And as the poor thing came limping on three
legs, they supposed it was lifting a big stone to throw at