Old Sultan

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Old Sultan (German: Der alte Sultan) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 48. It combined three different Aarne-Thompson types: 101, the old dog rescues the child; 103, wild animals hide from an unfamiliar animal; and 104, the war between the village animals and the forest animals.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A farmer's dog, Sultan, had grown old, and one day the farmer told his wife he would shoot Sultan. The dog heard. A wolf told him that they would take their child haying the next day, and the wolf would carry him off. Sultan could chase him, and he would free the child. They would be grateful and not shoot Sultan.

The wolf's plan succeeded, and the farmer was so grateful that he had his wife make bread soup for the dog so, being toothless, he would not have to chew.

The wolf asked Sultan to overlook his stealing sheep, and Sultan refused. When the wolf tried it, Sultan barked. The wolf challenged him, and came with a boar for a second. Sultan could find only a three-legged cat. But the wolf and boar mistook it, and hid. They were ashamed to be found so frightened, and made friends.

Spoilers end here.

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