biting.

"But Mr. Billy-Goat hurried on and Mr. Dog kept up with him until
they came to Mr. Wolf's house, and they ran into the front porch for
shelter. The door was shut tight, but Mr. Billy-Goat had on his
high-heel shoes that day, and he made so much noise as he tramped
about that Mr. Wolf opened his window and looked out. When he saw who
it was, he cried out:--

"'Hallo! this is not a nice day to pay visits, but since you are here,
you may as well come in out of the wet.'

"But Mr. Dog shook his head and flirted up dirt by scratching on the
ground with his feet. He had smelled blood. Mr. Billy-Goat saw how Mr.
Dog acted, and he was afraid to go in. So he shook his horns.

"'You'd just as well come in and sit by the fire,' said Mr. Wolf,
unlatching the door.

"But Mr. Dog and Mr. Billy-Goat thanked him kindly, and said they
didn't want to carry mud into the house. They said they would just
stand in the porch till the shower passed over. Then Mr. Wolf took
down his fiddle, tuned it up, and began to play. In his day and time
few could beat him playing the fiddle. And this time he played his
level best, for he knew that if he could start Mr. Billy-Goat to
dancing he'd have him for dinner."

"I don't see how," said Buster John.

"Well," exclaimed Mr. Rabbit, "if Mr. Billy-Goat began to dance he
would be likely to dance until he got tired, and then it would be an
easy matter for Mr. Wolf to outrun him."

"Of course," said Sweetest Susan.

"Well," Mr. Rabbit continued, "Mr. Wolf kept on playing the fiddle,
but Mr. Billy-Goat didn't dance. Not only that, he kept so near the
edge of the porch that the rain drifted in on his horns and ran down
his long beard. But he kept his eye on Mr. Wolf. After playing the
fiddle till he was tired, Mr. Wolf asked:--

"'How do you get your meat, my young friends?'

"Mr. Dog said he depended on his teeth, and Mr. Billy-Goat, thinking
to be on the safe side, said he also depended upon his teeth.

"'As for me,' cried Mr. Wolf, 'I depend on my feet!' and with that he
dropped his fiddle and jumped at Mr. Billy-Goat. But he knocked the
broom down and the handle tripped him. It was all very sudden, but
by the time Mr. Wolf had recovered himself Mr. Billy-Goat and Mr. Dog
had gone a considerable distance.

[Illustration: MR. BILLY-GOAT AND MR. WOLF]

"They ran and ran until they came to a big creek. Mr. Billy-Goat asked
Mr. Dog how he was going to get across.

"'Swim,' said Mr.