Old Sultan was a farmer's faithful dog. He had guarded the yard since he was a pup. As years passed he grew gray around the muzzle and his teeth were worn and gentle. One warm afternoon the farmer spoke with his wife by the door. He worried that Sultan was too old to work and did not know what to do next. The wife felt pity and asked that they keep the kind dog, for he had served them well. Sultan lay in the sun and heard every word. His heart felt heavy. That evening he padded quietly into the forest to visit his friend the Wolf.
Sultan told him his trouble. The Wolf thought and said, I have a plan that will show your master your true worth. Tomorrow morning your master and his wife will go to make hay and will lay their little child to rest in the shade near the hedge. You lie beside the child as if on watch. I will step from the trees, lift the child gently, and run across the field. You chase me and I will set the child down at once. Then you will carry the child back. Your master will see that you still protect what matters most.
The next day the plan unfolded. The farmer shouted in alarm when he saw the Wolf trot off with the child. Sultan sped after him like a young hound. The Wolf set the child down safely, and Sultan guided the child back to the grateful parents. The farmer stroked Sultan's back and said, Not a hair of yours shall be harmed. You will rest by my hearth and share my bread for all your days. His wife hurried home to make a soft supper that needed no chewing and brought a pillow for Sultan's bed. From that time on the old dog lacked for nothing.
Soon the Wolf came to visit and grinned with pride at the success. Gossip, he said, you will give me a little wink if I ever slip by to borrow one of your master's fine sheep. Sultan shook his head. I will not do that, he said. I am true to my master. The Wolf thought Sultan was only teasing. Late that night he crept near the pen to try for a sheep. But the farmer, whom Sultan had warned, stepped out with a loud rattle of pails and a firm shout. The startled Wolf turned tail and ran for the wood. From the edge of the field he called back, Wait, you trickster. I will remember this.
The next morning the Wolf sent a message by the Boar to challenge Sultan to meet in the forest and settle the matter. Old Sultan looked for a companion. No other dog was free, so a three legged Cat offered to go. Though she limped, she carried her tail high in the air to keep it from the dust. Together they set out, calm and steady. The Wolf and the Boar waited at the meeting place. When they saw Sultan and the Cat coming through the grass, they grew uneasy. The Cat's raised tail looked to them like a bright sword, and each time she hopped on her three legs they imagined she was stooping to pick up a stone.
Their courage wavered. The Boar pressed himself into the undergrowth, and the Wolf scrambled up a low tree to hide among the leaves. Sultan and the Cat reached the clearing and found no one there. But one of the Boar's ears still showed above the brush. The Cat spied the twitching tip and, thinking it was a mouse, gave it a quick nip. The Boar squealed and burst from the thicket, crying, The guilty one is up in the tree. The friends looked up and there was the Wolf, peeking through the branches, feeling rather ashamed. Sultan sat down beneath the tree and spoke kindly.
Friend Wolf, let us be wise. Tricks and fears help no one. I am bound to my master, but I wish no harm to you. Come down and let us make peace. The Wolf climbed down slowly. He lowered his ears and said, I was wrong to press you. You are faithful, and I should respect that. The Boar agreed and promised to keep to his own woods. The four animals shared a quiet moment in the shade. Sultan's old tail thumped in the grass. He had shown courage without harshness, and he had kept his word to his master and to himself.
At sunset Sultan and the Cat walked home. The farmer met them at the gate and gave Sultan a fond pat. Old friends, he said, are treasures. From that day on, Sultan's work was to be near the family, to keep watch with wise eyes, and to remind everyone that loyalty and friendship are worth more than sharp teeth.
The farmer met them at the gate and gave Sultan a fond pat. Old friends, he said, are treasures. From that day on, Sultan's work was to be near the family, to keep watch with wise eyes, and to remind everyone that loyalty and friendship are worth more than sharp teeth.
