use they were generous. Now,
Goats are not taught that they must not steal, but they think they have
a right to whatever they can get hold of; so this Goat opened his
mouth, and licked up all the sovereigns, and hid them under his tongue.

The Goat next went to a flower-shop, and asked the man who sold the
flowers to make some wreaths, and cover him up with them, horns and all.
So the man covered him up with flowers, till he looked like a large
rose-bush. Then the Goat popped out a sovereign from his mouth, to pay
the man, and very glad the man was to get so much for his roses.

Then the Goat set out on his homeward way. He looked out for the Wolf,
as he had promised to do; and when the Wolf saw him coming along, he
thought he was a rose-bush. The Wolf was not at all surprised to see a
rose-bush walking along the road, for many were the strange things he
had seen in his life; and if you come to think of it, this was no
stranger than a Goat that could talk English.

"Good afternoon, Rose-bush," said the Wolf; "have you seen a Goat
passing this way?"

"Oh yes," said the Goat, "I saw him a few minutes ago back there along
the road."

"Many thanks, Rose-bush," said the Wolf; "I am much obliged to you," and
away he ran in the direction in which the Goat had come.

By-and-by he came to the Jackal.

"Hullo, Rose-bush!" said the Jackal. "Have you seen a Goat anywhere as
you came along?"

"Oh yes," replied the Goat, out of the roses; "I saw him just now, and
he was talking to a big Wolf."

"Good heavens!" said the Jackal, "I must look sharp, if I want some Goat
to-day," and off he galloped, in a great hurry.

In the evening he got to the Butcher's house.

"Hullo!" said the Butcher, "what have we here?" He knew that rose-bushes
could not walk, but he could not make out what it was at all.

"Baa! baa!" said the Goat; "it's your grateful old Goat, come back to
pay you for your kindness." And with these words, he spouted out all the
sovereigns he found in the church, except the one he paid to the
flower-man.

The Butcher was delighted to see so many sovereigns:
he asked no questions, because he thought it wiser. He
took the sovereigns, and found they were enough
to keep him all his life, without killing any
more goats. So he lived in peace, and
the Goat spent his remaining years
browsing comfortably in the
Butcher's paddock.

[Illustr