Sirko
There was once a man who had
a dog named Sirko. The dog was very, very old, and one day his master drove him out of the
house. Sirko went roaming the fields, and he felt very sad and woebegone.
"I
served my master for so many years and watched over his house,” - said he to himself,
"and now that I'm old and weak he grudges me even a crust of bread and has driven me
out of the house."
He wandered
on, thinking these thoughts, when all of a sudden who should come up to him but a Wolf.
"What
are you doing, roaming about like that?" asked the Wolf. "There's nothing else I
can do, for my master has driven me out of the house," Sirko replied.
"I can
help you if you like," the Wolf said. "If you do as I say, your master will take
you back again."
"Please,
please help me, my dear friend!" Sirko cried. "I will find a way to repay you
for your kindness."
"Well,
then, listen to me. Your master and mistress will soon go out to the fields to reap, and
the mistress will leave her baby beside a stack of straw to sleep there while she is
helping her husband. Now, you must stay close to the baby so I'll know where it is. I'll
come running up and carry it off, and you must run after me and try to take it away. Then
I'll pretend I'm frightened and let it go."
The time to
reap the wheat came, and the master and mistress went to the field. The mistress left her
baby beside a straw stack and herself joined her husband and set to work. They were not at
it very long when the Wolf ran up. He seized the baby and ran off with it across the
field. Sirko ran after him, and his master cried: "Catch him, Sirko!"
Sirko caught
up with the Wolf, snatched the baby away from him, and brought it back to his master. And
his master got out some bread and a piece of bacon from a sack and said:
"Here,
Sirko, eat your fill! This is to thank you for saving our baby."
Evening
came, the master and mistress went home, and they took Sirko with them. They went into the
house, and the master said:
"Make
us an extra dish of dumplings, wife, and don't spare the fat!"
The
dumplings were soon ready, and the master seated Sirko at the table and sat down beside
him.
"Serve
the dumplings, wife!" said he. "We're going to have our supper."
The mistress
set the dumplings on the table, and the master filled a dish full of them and gave the
dish to Sirko. And he blew on them lest Sirko burn himself while he ate.
"This is all the Wolf's
doing," said Sirko to himself. "I must repay him for his kindness."
Now, Sirko's master, who had
waited till it was the season for eating meat, prepared to marry off his eldest daughter.
Sirko went out into the
field, found the Wolf there and said to him:
"Come to our vegetable
garden toward evening on Sunday. I will take you into the house and repay you for your
kindness."
The Wolf waited till Sunday
came round and went where Sirko had told him to.
Now, it was on that very day
that the wedding was held. Sirko went outside, took the Wolf into the house and hid him
under the table. Then he seized a bottle of vodka and a big piece of meat from the table
and gave them to the Wolf. The guests wanted to beat Sirko, but the master stopped them.
"Do not
touch Sirko!" he said. "He has done me a great service, and I will be kind to
him always."
And Sirko
took some of the best pieces from the table and gave them to the Wolf. So well did he
feast him that the Wolf who had had too much to drink could not stop himself and said:
"I'm going to sing!"
"Please
don't or you'll get into trouble," Sirko begged. "I'll give you some more vodka
if only you promise to keep quiet."
He gave the
Wolf another bottle of vodka, and .the Wolf drained it dry.
"I'm going to sing no
matter what you say!" he cried. "Don't do it or we'll both pay with our lives
for it!" Sirko said.
"I
can't help myself, I’m going to sing and that's the end of it!" the Wolf cried
again, and he let out a terrific howl from under the table!
The guests
jumped up in fright, they rushed hither and thither, and some of them wanted to beat up
the Wolf. So then Sirko jumped on top of him and made as though he was about to kill him.
"Don't
touch the Wolf or you'll hurt Sirko!" the master said. "And don't you worry,
he'll teach him a good lesson!" Sirko took the Wolf to the field and said:
"You
did me a kindness once, and now I have paid you back for it!" They bade each other
goodbye and went their separate ways.
