Old Sultan
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A farmer had a faithful dog named Sultan, who had grown old and lost all his teeth, and could no longer hold onto anything. One day the farmer was standing1 with his wife before the house door, and said, Tomorrow I intend to shoot Old Sultan. He is no longer of any use.
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. You are not very bright. 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 stretched out in the sun not far off, heard everything, and was sorry that tomorrow 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.
Listen, kinsman, said the wolf, be of good cheer. I will help you out of your trouble. I have thought of something. Tomorrow, 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. 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 come out of the woods, and 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, and will be far too grateful to do you any harm. On the contrary, you will be treated royally, and they will never let you want for anything again.
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 stroked him and said, Not a hair of yours shall be hurt. You shall eat free bread as long as you live.
And to his wife he said, Go home at once and make Old Sultan some bread soup that he will not have to bite. And bring the pillow from my bed. I will give it to him to lie on. From then on Old Sultan was as well off as he could possibly wish.
Soon afterwards the wolf visited him, and was pleased that everything had succeeded so well. But, kinsman, he said, you will just close one eye if, when I have a chance, I carry off one of your master's fat sheep.
Don't count on that, answered the dog. I will remain true to my master. I cannot agree to that.
The wolf thought that this was not spoken in earnest, and he crept up in the night to take away the sheep. But the farmer, to whom the faithful Sultan had told the wolf's plan, was waiting for him and combed his hair cruelly with a flail2. The wolf had to flee, but he cried 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 limped3 along, stretching its tail upward with pain.
The wolf and his friend were already at the appointed place, but when they saw their enemy coming, they thought that he was bringing a saber with him, for they mistook the cat's outstretched tail for one. And when the poor animal hopped4 on three legs, they thought that each time it was picking up a stone to throw at them. Then they took fright. 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 cautiously5 about, the boar wiggled his ears, and 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 made peace with the dog.
一个牧羊人有一条非常忠诚的狗，叫做苏丹。苏丹目前已经老了，连牙齿也掉完了。有一天，牧羊人和他的老婆站在房子前，牧羊人说：「我筹备明天上午把老苏丹杀掉，由于它已经没用了。」老婆却说道：「请把这条可怜的狗留下吧，它为大家忠心耿耿地服务了很多年，大家应该在它有生之年里继续供养它。」牧羊人反驳她说：「可大家留着它又能为大家做甚么事呢？它嘴里没一颗牙齿，小偷根本不会在乎他。你说得很好，它的确为大家做过不少事，但那是它谋生的方法，大家也不曾亏待它呀！它目前如此子，明天杀了它更好。」
可怜的苏丹就躺在他们身旁不远处，它把牧羊人和他老婆的这番对话都听了去，想到明天就是它的末日，它很害怕。傍晚，它去了住在森林里的好朋友狼那儿，把我们的事都告诉了它，说他的主人筹备明天要将它杀死。狼听了说道：「你先别慌，我给你出一个好主意。你的主人天天清晨都会携带他们的孩子去地里干活，这你是了解的。他们干活时，就会把孩子放在篱笆下的阴凉处。明天清晨你蹲在孩子附近，做出照看孩子的样子，我从森林里跑出来把孩子叼走，你需要装做拚命追赶我的样子，我也装做惊慌的样子扔下孩子逃走。然后你就能把孩子带回去了。经过这一闹，你的主人必然会非常感激你救回了他们的孩子，他们就会留下你，继续供养你了。」狗很讚赏这个方法。
第二天清晨，它们按计划进行，狼刚把孩子叼走跑不多远，牧羊人和他老婆就惊慌地叫喊起来。这个时候，老苏丹跳起来奋力向狼追去，非常快就追上了狼，并帮它的男主人和女主人救回了那可怜的小傢伙。看见孩子安然无恙，牧羊人拍了拍苏丹的头，说道：「老苏丹，你从狼口里救回了大家的孩子，我不会再杀你了，还要好好地养活你，给你好多吃的东西。」说完又转头对老婆说：「走！回家去吧，给老苏丹做一顿美味的，把我的旧靠垫做窝给它睡，让它过得好一点。」从这将来，苏丹终於如愿以偿，过上了倍受主人家喜爱的生活。
不久，狼来向苏丹祝贺，同时对它说：「我的好朋友，目前你也该帮我个忙了，我很长时间没吃过一顿饱餐了，就请你在我抓吃你主人的肥羊时，把头调过去，只当没看见。」苏丹说：「那不可以，我得忠於我的主人。」狼听了之后，以为它不过是说说笑话，不会认真对待此事的。晚上，它跑来筹备抓只羊美餐一顿，但苏丹把狼的企图告诉了主人。主人躲在羊圈的门后面，等候着狼的到来。狼来了将来，主人等它正忙着物色肥羊时，一记闷棍狠狠地打在了它的背上，连背上的毛都掉下了很大一撮，狼仓皇逃走了。
挨了这一棍，狼很气愤，它叫苏丹是「一个老杂种」，发誓要对它进行报复。第二天早晨，狼派野猪来挑战，要苏丹到森林里去，以决斗的方法来解决它们之间的事。此刻，苏丹除去主人家的一只三条腿的瘸脚猫外，再也找不到第二个助手，它只好叫上这只猫和它一道前往。这可怜的猫跛着腿走起路来极不便捷，所以就把尾巴举起来平衡身子。
狼和野猪先在路上等着苏丹，当它们发现他们时，远远看见猫竖在空中那长长的尾巴，以为那是猫为帮助苏丹决斗而带来的一把刀。猫走起来一跛一跛的，它们以为猫每跛一次，就拾起了一块石头，是筹备用来向它们投掷的。看到这状况，它们两个心里害怕起来，打起了退堂鼓，说最好取消决斗为好。说完，野猪急急忙忙地藏进了灌木丛里，狼跳到一棵大树上。苏丹和猫不久就走了过来，四下一瞧，非常奇怪它们如何还没有来。然而，野猪这个时候还没把自己完全藏好，它的耳朵还露在灌木丛外面，就在它的耳朵轻轻晃动之际，那只猫觉察到有东西在灌木丛中晃动，以为是一只老鼠，跳起来扑了上去，又是撕咬又是抓挠。野猪受不了了，它又是跳又是叫，一边逃跑，一边大声叫道：「快看树上，那上面坐的才是你们要找的对头。」苏丹和猫一齐向树上望去，后见狼正坐在树枝上，它们叫它是一个胆小鬼，不准它下来。狼十分羞愧，就答应和苏凡讲和，如此它和老苏丹又成了好朋友。
