The neighbours, very naturally, declined to believe his story, and tried me several times with all the bad money they could collect together, but I never failed to stand the test triumphantly.

Soon, the shop was filled from morning till night, with people who on the pretence of buying bread came to see if I was as clever as I was reported to be.  The baker drove a roaring trade, and admitted that I was worth my weight in gold to him.

Of course there were plenty who envied him his large custom, and many was the pitfall set for me, so that he never dared to let me out of his sight.  One day a woman, who had not been in the shop before, came to ask for bread, like the rest.  As usual, I was lying on the counter, and she threw down six coins before me, one of which was false.  I detected it at once, and put my paw on it, looking as I did so at the woman.  “Yes,” she said, nodding her head.  “You are quite right, that is the one.”  She stood gazing at me attentively for some time, then paid for the bread, and left the shop, making a sign for me to follow her secretly.

Now my thoughts were always running on some means of shaking off the spell laid on me, and noticing the way in which this woman had looked at me, the idea entered my head that perhaps she might have guessed what had happened, and in this I was not deceived.  However I let her go on a little way, and merely stood at the door watching her.  She turned, and seeing that I was quite still, she again beckoned to me.

The baker all this while was busy with his oven, and had forgotten all about me, so I stole out softly, and ran after the woman.

When we came to her house, which was some distance off, she opened the door and then said to me, “Come in, come in; you will never be sorry that you followed me.”  When I had entered she fastened the door, and took me into a large room, where a beautiful girl was working at a piece of embroidery.  “My daughter,” exclaimed my guide, “I have brought you the famous dog belonging to the baker which can tell good money from bad.  You know that when I first heard of him, I told you I was sure he must be really a man, changed into a dog by magic.  To-day I went to the baker’s, to prove for myself the truth of the story, and persuaded the dog to follow me here.  Now what do you say?”

“You are right, mother,” replied the girl, and rising she dipped her hand into a vessel of water.  Then sprinkling it over me she said, “If you were born dog, remain dog; but if you were born man, by virtue of this water resume your proper form.”  In one moment the spell was broken.  The dog’s shape vanished as if it had never been, and it was a man who stood before her.

Overcome with gratitude at my deliverance, I flung myself at her feet, and kissed the hem of her garment.  “How can I thank you for your goodness towards a stranger, and for what you have done?  Henceforth I am your slave.  Deal with me as you will!”