sack, threw the sack over his shoulder, and was soon trudging
home.

After he had gone the three friends came out from their several
hiding-places, and met together, when, missing the tortoise, they at
once judged what had become of him. Then, uttering bitter cries and
lamentations, they shed torrents of tears. At length the raven broke the
silence, and said: "Dear friends, our moans and sorrow do not help the
tortoise. We must, if it be at all possible, devise some means of saving
his life. Our sages have often told us that there are three persons that
are never well known but on special occasions--men of courage in fight,
men of honesty in business, and a true friend in extreme necessity. We
find, alas! our dear companion the tortoise is in a sad condition, and
therefore we must, if possible, help him."

"It is first-class advice," replied Zirac. "Now I think I know how it
can be done. Let our friend the goat go and show herself to the hunter,
who will then be certain to lay down the sack to run after her."

"All right," said the goat, "I will pretend to be lame, and run limping
at a little distance before him, which will encourage him to follow me,
and thus draw him a good way from his sack, which will give Zirac time
to set our friend at liberty."

This plan appeared such a good one that it was at once approved of, and
immediately the goat ran halting before the hunter, and appeared to be
so feeble and faint that her pursuer thought he had her safe in his
clutches again, and so, laying down his sack, ran after the goat with
all his might. That cunning creature suffered him now and again almost
to come up to her, and then led him another wild-goose chase till at
last she had lured him out of sight; which Zirac seeing, began gnawing
the string that tied the mouth of the sack, and soon set free the
tortoise, who went at once and hid himself in a thick bush.

[Illustration: "OH, WHY HAVE YOU VENTURED TO COME?"]

At length the hunter, tired of running after his prey, gave up the
chase, and returned to take up his sack.

"Here," said he, "I have something safe; thou art not quite so swift as
that plaguing goat; and if thou wert, art too well confined here to find
the way to make thy little legs any use to thee." So saying, he went to
the bag, but not finding the tortoise he was amazed, and thought himself
in a region of hobgoblins and spirits, since he had by some mysterious
means lost two valuable objects, a goa