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OLD SULTAN AND HIS FRIENDS. |
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"Listen, grandfather," said the wolf; "take courage. I will help you out of your trouble. I have thought of something. To-morrow morning early your master and his wife are going out into the fields haymaking, and they will take their little child with them. While they are'at work, they will lay the child under the hedge in the shadow. You lay yourself by him, as if you meant to watch him. I will wait till all is quiet, and then I will run out of the wood, seize the child, and carry it away. Then you must spring after me with the greatest zeal, as you used to do in your hunting days. I will let the child fall, and you shall bring it back to its parents again, and they will believe that you have saved it from me, and will be the more thankful because they intended to kill you. Instead of that, you will be in full favour, -and nothing will ever cause them to give you up."
The dog followed this advice, and, as it had been planned, so was accomplished. The father screamed as he saw the wolf run away with his child through the wood; but when poor old Sultan brought it back, his joy and gratitude knew no bounds. He stroked and patted the old dol,, saying, " Nothing shall ever hurt you now, you dear old dog, and you shall never want for food and shelter as long as you live."
To his wife he said, " Go home at once, wife, and cook some bread and milk for poor old Sultan. It is soft, and will not require strong teeth to bite it. And bring the pillow from my arm-chair. He shall have it for a bed."
And so from this time old Sultan had every comfort and contentment that his heart could wish. By-and-by Sultan went to pay the wolf a visit, and told him joyfully of his good-fortune.
"Grandfather," he said, slily, "I suppose now you will shut your eyes, and not see if I carry away a fat sheep from your master's flock. It is very hard to get food nowadays."
"I can't help that." said the dog. " My master trusts in me, and I dare not allow you to touch his property."
The wolf, however, did not believe the dog spoke in earnest, so he came in the night, slipped into the fold, and would have carried oft a sheep, if Sultan had not forewarned his master of the wolfs intention.
He watched for him, and gave him a good combing with the flail, till he was almost bare of hair. |
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