|| A Bohemian folktale ||
Long long ago, in Bohemia (now in Czech Republic), a farmer had a faithful dog named Sultan. Sultan had grown old and lost all his teeth, and could no longer hold onto anything. The farmer discussed with his wife about abandoning Sultan in the forest.
His wife, who felt pity for the faithful animal, answered, “He has served us so long, and been so faithful, that we might well give him his keep.”
“What?” said the man. “He doesn’t have a tooth left in his mouth, and no thief is afraid of him. He can go now. If he has served us, he has eaten well for it.”
The poor dog, who was lying nearby, heard everything. 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.
“Listen, kinsman,” said the wolf, “I will help you. Tomorrow, early in the morning, your master is going with his wife to make hay, and they will take their little child with them.”
” While they are at work, they lay the child behind the hedge in the shade. You lie down there too, just as if you wanted to guard it. Then I will carry off the child. You must run swiftly after me, as if you would take it away from me. I will let it fall, and you will take it back to its parents, who will think that you have rescued it”
This idea pleased the dog, and it was carried out just as planned. The father screamed when he saw the wolf running across the field with his child, but when Old Sultan brought it back, he was full of joy, and relief.
And Sultan was treated royally with bone soup and fluffy pillows.
Soon afterwards the wolf visited him, and was pleased that everything had succeeded so well. He said, ” Listen, I helped you, now it’s your turn to help me. When I have a chance, I will carry off one of your master’s fat sheep. Just look the other way.”
“Don’t count on that,” answered the dog. “I will remain true to my master. I cannot agree to that.”
The wolf thought that the dog did not really mean it and he crept up in the night to take away the sheep.
But Sultan barked and the wolf got a thrashing from the farmer with a stick.
The wolf had to flee, but he howled out to the dog, “Just wait, you scoundrel! You’ll regret this!”
The next morning the wolf sent the boar to challenge the dog to come out into the forest and settle the affair. Old Sultan could find no one to be his second, but a cat with only three legs, and as they went out together the poor cat limped along, stretching its tail.
So it is the wolf and wild boar versus the old dog and the limping cat.
The wolf and his friend, the wild boar were already at the designated place. When they saw their enemy coming from a distance, they thought their enemies were bringing a saber (curved sword) with them, for they mistook the cat’s outstretched tail for one.
And when the poor animal hopped on three legs, they thought that each time it was jumping up and down, it must be picking up a stone to throw at them.
They grew increasingly uncomfortable. When the cat swished its tail, that was enough for them and they fled in terror thinking the cat was brandishing the sword.
The wild boar crept into the underbrush and the wolf jumped up a tree. As the dog and the cat approached, they wondered why no one was to be seen.
The wild boar, however, had not been able to hide himself completely in the leaves.
His ears were still sticking out.
While the cat was looking cautiously about, the boar wiggled his ears.
The cat, who thought it was a mouse, jumped on it and bit down hard. The boar jumped up screaming loudly, “The guilty one is up in the tree.”
The dog and cat looked up and saw the wolf, who was ashamed for having shown such fear, and who then came down and made peace with the dog.
But sometimes even today, the wolf howls and calls out to the dog for betraying him.
The dog howls back in response.
Like (0)