THE COW AND THE BILLY GOAT

An old woman had a Cow and a Billy Goat. The two pastured together. At

milking the Cow was restless. The old woman brought out some bread and

salt, and gave it to the Cow, and said:

"Stand still, motherkin; take it, take it! I will bring you some more,

only stand still."

On the next evening the Goat came home from the field before the Cow,

and spread his legs, and stood in front of the old woman. The old woman

wanted to strike him with the towel, but he stood still, and did not

stir. He remembered that the woman had promised the Cow some bread if

she would stand still. When the woman saw that he would not budge, she

picked up a stick, and beat him with it.

When the Goat went away, the woman began once more to feed the Cow with

bread, and to talk to her.

"There is no honesty in men," thought the Goat. "I stood still better

than the Cow, and was beaten for it."

He stepped aside, took a run, hit against the milk-pail, spilled the

milk, and hurt the old woman.

Fables for Children, Stories for Children, Natural Science Stories, Popular Education, Decembrists, Moral Tales · 第 102 / 245 题