Old Sultan facts for kids

Old Sultan is a classic German fairy tale collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. In German, its name is 'Der alte Sultan'. This story is about loyalty, friendship, and cleverness. It features an old dog named Sultan who faces a big challenge.

How the Story Began

The Brothers Grimm first published 'Old Sultan' in their famous book, Kinder- und Hausmärchen, in 1812. They later rewrote it a bit for the second edition in 1819. The story came from Johann Friedrich Krause, who lived in Hof, a town in Hessen, Germany.

The Story of Old Sultan

Sultan's Sad News

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had a very old dog named Sultan. Sultan had been a loyal friend for many years. However, he was now old and his teeth were gone. One day, the farmer told his wife that he planned to get rid of Sultan. The old dog overheard this sad news.

A Clever Plan with the Wolf

Sultan was very worried. Luckily, he had a friend, a wolf from the forest. The wolf felt sorry for Sultan and came up with a clever plan. He told Sultan that the next day, the farmer and his wife would take their child to the field for haying.

The wolf's plan was simple: he would pretend to snatch the child. Sultan's job would be to chase the wolf away and rescue the child. This way, the farmer would be so thankful that he would never think of harming Sultan.

The Rescue and Reward

The next day, everything happened just as the wolf had planned. The wolf grabbed the child, and Sultan bravely chased him. Sultan managed to "free" the child, making the farmer incredibly grateful. The farmer was so happy that he told his wife to make special bread soup for Sultan. This soft soup was perfect for the old dog who couldn't chew anymore.

A New Challenge

After this, the wolf asked Sultan for a favor. He wanted Sultan to look the other way when he tried to steal some sheep from the farmer. But Sultan was a loyal dog. He refused to let his friend steal from his master.

When the wolf tried to steal a sheep anyway, Sultan barked loudly. This warned the farmer and stopped the wolf. The wolf was angry and challenged Sultan to a fight.

The Unexpected Allies

The wolf brought a big boar as his helper for the fight. Sultan, however, could only find a three-legged cat to be his helper. It seemed like an unfair match!

When the wolf and boar saw the cat, they mistook its tail, which was sticking up, for a mighty sword. As the cat limped towards them, they thought she was picking up rocks to throw. Frightened, the wolf and boar quickly hid. They were very ashamed when they realized how easily they had been scared. In the end, they gave up the fight.