He was only just in time; the claw was within an inch of his throat;
but the Goblin, baffled, flew up to his perch again, and sat mouthing
and mumbling there.
Then the son began to talk to this Goblin, and showed him the error of
his ways, and how cruel he was to eat men; and the end of it was, he
persuaded the Goblin to become a vegetarian, and to follow him about,
and be his errand-boy. You will think this was a very soft-hearted
Goblin. Perhaps no one had ever spoken kindly to him before; anyhow,
whatever the reason was, he went out with the two travellers, as tame
as a tabby cat; and for all I know, they may be travelling together
to this very day.