Does anyone know where this story comes from?

Question

A man (a king, i think) and his faithful dog regularly take walks in the woods. But one day the dog runs off and doesn't come back. The man assumes he will be able to find his own way home, but upon returning, he finds the door open and his bedroom where his baby daughter was sleeping had been trashed, the baby's crib had been overturned and there was blood everywhere. Standing on his bed was his dog, also covered in blood, and was panting and wagging his tail. The man assumes the dog had got in and killed his child, and draws his sword and kills the dog. He collapses on the bed with grief because he has lost his child and his dog in the same morning. After a while he hears something that seemed to be coming from a bundle of sheets by his dog's feet and discovers it is infact his baby, and as he stands up he also notices something by his feet that he didn't see coming in. A dead wolf.

His dog hadn't killed his baby at all, he had sensed danger and ran off to protect his master's child, and killed the wolf, hence all the blood.

It's basically a tale about trust and how we shouldn't make quick judgements, but I'd like to know what is it called and where could find the story in full.

Answer 1

It's an old story! - "The Dog Soldier". The most well known version seems to be the Welsh fable "Bedd Gelert", and it's also in Aesopus' Fables. But the oldest may be a story from India, Panchatantra.

Legend: A dog charged with guarding a baby is discovered bloody-faced while the infant is strangely missing. The shocked dog owner reacts by killing the canine, only to afterwards find the unharmed babe lying next to a wolf his faithful companion had dispatched
Origins: This
current tale about a widowed trapper is but a manifestation of a much older legend-type. The Welsh fable "Bedd Gelert" is arguably the best-known of this genre. The faithful hunting hound Gelert greets Prince Llewellyn with a bloody mouth and strangely shifty behavior. The nursery of Prince Llewellyn's son lies in disarray with the crib overturned and the child nowhere to be seen. Llewellyn acts on his fears and slays his previously faithful companion. The child is afterwards found unharmed, and the hidden intruder Gelert had battled -- a huge wolf -- is found lying dead where Gelert had felled him.

Possibly the oldest version of the legend comes from India's Panchatantra, a compilation of animal fables and magic tales assembled sometime during the 3rd to 5th centuries. In that tale, a wife leaves her baby in the care of her husband, cautioning him not to let their mongoose (which she'd also given birth to) get too close to the babe because she does not trust the animal. As soon as she leaves, the husband heads out himself, leaving the child alone with its half-brother. A black snake appears in the home, and the mongoose tears it to shreds. Proud of his exploit, the mongoose displays himself in all his gory glory to his mother upon her return. She jumps to the conclusion that he has hurt her human son, throws a water pitcher at him, which kills him instantly. A more careful survey of the home reveals the unharmed child and the bloodied remains of the deadly black snake.

Through the centuries, the story has popped up in one culture after another, proving once again how universal folktales truly are. The following version comes from the realm of Jewish lore:

(See more in link below)

Answer 2

It's the legend of Beddgelert (now a village in North Wales).
Beddgelert means "Gelert's Grave".

Check out:
http://www.beddgelerttourism.com/legend_of_gelert.htm

Answer 3

the dog is gelert. its from a welsh town called bethgelert

Answer 4

yes in the books

Answer 5

2nd poster has the gist of it, but the town is spelt Beddgelert.

Answer 6

Aesop ?

Answer 7

http://www.pontyberem.com/gelert.htm this is the story you want

Answer 8

Sad story,I can't help but Thanks !