The Shepherd's Dog

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who had a large flock of sheep guarded by an old, loyal dog. Over the years, the dog had killed many wolves and bears. But lately, his strength had begun to wane—he struggled to get up from the ground, and his fur had started to fall out. The shepherd, realizing that one day he might be left without a protector, found a puppy somewhere and began to train it. Being a good master, he continued to care for both dogs. However, the puppy soon started picking fights with the old dog over food. Greedy and insatiable, the puppy was always afraid it would go hungry.

One day, the puppy fawned over the shepherd, rubbing against his legs, and then said:

"Master, you should drive away that old dog. He just wastes food. If you do, I’ll get more to eat, grow faster, and become stronger. After all, your hope lies with me now. Let him go wherever he pleases—there’s no use in keeping him around anymore."

The shepherd heeded the advice and began to scold the old dog—sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, sometimes with harsh words, and other times even using a stick. The poor dog saw that life with his master had become unbearable, and with his head hung low, he ran away. He ran and ran until he reached the forest. There, he began to search for food, looking here and there, but found nothing. Exhausted from hunger and his fruitless search, he lost all his strength. But then he came across a small hut. He entered, sat down, and began to think: "Well, that puppy sure did me a favor! Now it seems there’s nothing left for me but to say goodbye to life."

As he sat there, cursing his fate, he suddenly saw through the window a wolf approaching the hut—a path used by wolves happened to pass nearby. The dog didn’t bristle: he knew that wolves, when full, wouldn’t harm anyone. The wolf came up to the hut and asked:

"Hey, who are you?"

"A shoemaker," replied the dog.

"And what can you do?"

"I can make boots, shoes, anything from leather."

"That’s great, shoemaker! I’ve been wanting to order a pair of boots for a long time."

"Do you have the leather?"

"No. What kind do you need?"

"For the soles—calfskin; for the uppers—pigskin; and for the shafts—gooseskin."

"Then it’s a deal. Make me the boots!"

"Deal, friend, but bring me a live calf. I’ll skin it myself and tan the hide."

"Alright, shoemaker."

The wolf roamed the fields and herds and soon dragged in a young bull.

"Is this good?"

"Perfect. And in three days, I’ll need a pig."

The wolf ran off, and the dog set to work on the bull. He ate and ate, rested a bit, drank some water, and ate some more. In three days, he finished the bull. The wolf, thinking only of the boots, kept his word: on the third day, he brought a huge boar.

"Here, shoemaker, I’ve brought it. Will it do for the uppers?"

"Couldn’t be better."

"When will the boots be ready?"

"Bring me four geese for the insoles and the shafts—I’ll finish them in three days."

The wolf was overjoyed. On the second day, he brought four geese and could hardly contain himself, eagerly waiting to try on the boots. Meanwhile, the dog just ate and slept, feasting on pork and goose, with fresh spring water nearby. If this wasn’t paradise, it was close to it. The dog grew strong from the hearty meals, his coat gleaming with health, so much so that he looked like a two-year-old—he had rejuvenated. When the time came, the wolf appeared.

"Well, shoemaker, are the boots ready?"

"What boots are you talking about, you beast?" the dog barked as he leapt out of the hut. The wolf, startled, crouched down, but the dog pounced on him and began tearing him apart with his teeth. The poor wolf, sensing his end, howled so loudly that all the wolves from the nearby forest came running. The dog fought them off so fiercely that the trees shook. With each bite, he took down three wolves at once. After a while, the king of the wolves arrived. Seeing the chaos, he shouted:

"Enough, wolves! Leave the dog alone and come to me." The wolves retreated, and the king began to scold them.

"Hey, you sharp-toothed fools, why did you mess with this dog? Do you want him to tear all your throats out and wipe out your kind? Don’t you see how strong and agile he is? None of you can stand against him! Go, give him money, do whatever it takes to make him leave, or we’ll have no peace."

Four wolves then ran up to the dog:

"Your Highness, how much should we pay you, or what should we do to make you leave the forest and leave us alone?"

"If you steal two sheep from the flock of a certain shepherd (here he named his former master), I’ll ask for no other reward."

The wolves liked the task. They ran down the hill, where the dog had directed them, and not far from the flock, they began to howl and gnash their teeth. The young puppy, terrified, tucked his tail between his legs and ran off. The poor shepherd couldn’t handle four wolves with just a stick. He whistled and shouted, but it was no use: the wolves pounced on the sheep, grabbed two, and were about to leave when the old dog (who had quietly snuck back to the flock earlier) leapt out and began tearing into the wolves, mauling them so badly that they barely escaped with their lives.

The shepherd was overjoyed to see his old friend dealing with the wolves so fiercely! He petted him, fed him, and when the young puppy returned, he beat him and drove him away from the pen.

The old dog lived comfortably with the shepherd once more: he had food, care, and a roof over his head. And as he grew older, the shepherd took even better care of him. When the time came for the shepherd to find another dog, he chose one that resembled the old one: diligent in guarding the flock and unafraid of wolves.

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The Shepherd's Dog

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