Sultan the dog

Far from the city of Varanasi, near the Dandaka forest there lived a washer man, his wife and their small baby. They also had a pet dog called Sultan. Sultan grew very old and lost all his teeth. So the washer man told his wife, “Sultan has become very old and he is of no use to us. So I am going to kill him tomorrow.” When Sultan heard this, he became very sad. That night though he guarded the house properly, he was crying. A wolf from the forest visited the house of Sultan. He asked Sultan, “My friend why are you crying?” Sultan replied, “I have become very old and lost all my teeth. So I am not of any use to my master. So he has decided to kill me tomorrow.” The wolf suggested a plan to Sultan,” Just before daybreak, I will carry the Washer man’s baby. You chase me. I will leave the baby and run away. This will make you dear to your master.” Sultan thanked the wolf for the idea

Just before daybreak, the wolf took the washer man’s baby and started running. Then when Sultan chased him for some distance, he left the baby on the floor and ran away. The washerman and his wife who saw this were terribly pleased with Sultan and started to take care of him very well.

A few days later the wolf came to Sultan and told him, “that day I helped you. Now I am starving. Today night I will come and carry off a fat sheep of the washer man. You keep quiet “ and ran away. Sultan told about the wolf’s plan to the washer man and both of them chased away the wolf.

Wolf had a bear friend. So he send word to Sultan to come to the forest, so that they can fight with each other. Poor sultan had only a cat friend who had three legs. Both Sultan and his three-legged cat friend walked towards the forest. The bear saw them from a distance. Since the cat was keeping its tail up, the bear thought that Sultan’s friend was carrying a sword. When because of its three legs the cat was jumping and walking, the bear thought that Sultan and his friend were collecting lot of stones to fight with him, So the bear and the wolf decided to run away. Since they did not have time, the wolf climbed a tree and the bear lay down behind a bush.

When Sultan and his friend neared the forest, there was no trace of the wolf or bear. They felt happy. When the cat was looking here and there, it saw the ear of the bear on the floor. It thought that it was a rat and bit it ferociously. The bear was wounded and ran away making lot of noise. The wolf jumped from the tree and made friendship with the cat and the Sultan.