Once upon a time there lived a peasant, and he had an old dog. While the dog was young, everyone loved him, petted him, fed him, but when he got old, they kicked him out.
“Now you’re good for nothing, you can’t even drive a pig out of the garden.” Go into the forest and let the wolves eat you there.
They hit the dog, kicked him, and didn’t let him eat. He ran into the forest and met a wolf. The wolf asks:
-Where are you running, dog?
“I served my master as long as I could, but when I got old, they didn’t give me anything to eat anymore, I was driven out into the forest to be eaten by the wolves. The wolf says:
- I won’t eat you. What's left of you is skin and bones - what good is it if I eat you? I'd better help you. So people will come out to mow the rye, the housewife will bring food to the mowers, put the child on the ground, and she herself will go to put up sheaves. As soon as she moves away, I will grab the child and run, and you jump after me, attack, grab the tail, pull. I'll drop the baby. People will think that you saved the child, and they will love you as long as you are alive. Just don’t forget me either, thank me for the service.
The dog came running home, and the owner grabbed a broom and chased him out from under the bench:
- He came back again, worthless, is there any free bread? The next day, the hostess brought an afternoon snack to the workers, and took the child with her. She came to the place, put the child in the shade, and she went to place the sheaves. As soon as she moved away, the wolf grabbed the child and ran. The hostess shouts:
- Doggie, catch up, catch up with the wolf, take the child away! The dog will run after the wolf! He caught up with him, grabbed him by the neck, and started tugging at his tail. The wolf dropped the child. The owner ran up, grabbed the child, and didn’t know how to be happy or how to thank the dog. Now she says:
- What a good dog! As long as I live, you will eat everything that we eat.
And it’s true: a well-fed, free life has begun for the dog - no one will say a bad word to him, everyone just caresses him, they don’t spare a tasty morsel.
One day the owner of a christening was celebrating, and the dog remembered his promise and ran into the forest, inviting the wolf to a feast.
They climbed into the pantry and gobbled up whatever they could find: bread, meat, and pies. The wolf also tasted beer from the jug. The women in the hut began to sing, and the wolf couldn’t stand it either.
- Well, I’ll start drinking too! The dog holds him:
- Don't sing, there will be trouble!
But how can a wolf endure it? The guests began to sing louder and he began to sing along. People heard a wolf howl, some grabbed a stick, some a poker, some a ladle and rushed at the wolf. The wolf barely carried his legs out of the pantry. That was the end of the friendship between the wolf and the dog.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru