to open the door, she could not, for the
goat was behind it. Then she began to weep and various animals came
along and tried to enter the house. The goat answered them all: "I am
the goat, with three horns on my head and three in my belly, and if you
don't run away I will eat you up." The mouse at last replied: "I am
Godfather Mouse, with the halter, and if you don't run away, I will tear
your eyes out." The goat ran away and the old woman went in with
Godfather Mouse, whom she married, and they both lived there together.

The Florentine version (_Nov. fior._ p. 556) is called "The Iron Goat."
In it a widow goes out to wash and leaves her son at home, with orders
not to leave the door open so that the Iron Goat, with the iron mouth
and the sword tongue, can enter. The boy after a time wanted to go after
his mother, and when he had gone half way he remembered that he had left
the door open and went back. When he was going to enter he saw there the
Iron Goat. "Who is there?" "It is I; I am the Iron Goat, with the iron
mouth and the sword tongue. If you enter I will slice you like a
turnip." The poor boy sat down on the steps and wept. A little old woman
passed by and asked the cause of his tears; he told her and she said she
would send the goat away for three bushels of grain. The old woman
tried, with the usual result, and finally said to the boy: "Listen, my
child. I don't care for those three bushels of grain; but I really
cannot send the goat away." Then an old man tried his luck, with no
better success. At last a little bird came by and promised for three
bushels of millet to drive the goat away. When the goat made its usual
declaration, the little bird replied: "And I with my beak will peck your
brains out." The goat was frightened and ran away, and the boy had to
pay the little bird three bushels of millet.[14]

The next story affords, like "Pitidda," a curious example of the
diffusion of nursery tales.

Our readers will remember the Grimm story of "The Spider and the Flea."
A spider and a flea dwelt together in one house and brewed their beer in
an egg-shell. One day, when the spider was stirring it up, she fell in
and scalded herself. Thereupon the flea began to scream. And then the
door asked: "Why are you screaming, flea?" "Because Little Spider has
scalded herself in the beer-tub," replied she. Thereupon the door began
to creak as if it were in pain, and a broom, which stood in the corner,
asked: "What are