who gave her some butter. She brought
the butter to the cock, and the cock gulped it down and swallowed the
bean.
[Illustration]
Then he jumped up merrily and started singing "Cock-a-doodle-doo! I was
sitting under the wall, plaiting shoes, when I lost my awl, but I found
a little coin, and I bought a little scarf, and gave it to a pretty
girl."
[Illustration]
And that's all about it.
THE GOAT AND THE RAM.
Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife, and they had a goat and
a ram.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
And one day the man said to his wife: "Look here, let's get rid of the
ram and the goat; why, they only keep eating our corn, and don't help to
feed us at all!"
So he told them: "Be off, goat and ram, and don't dare to show
yourselves at my gate ever again."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
So the goat and the ram made themselves a bag, and went off. And they
went on and on, when suddenly they saw a wolf's head lying in the middle
of the field.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
And they picked up the head, put it in their bag, and went on again. And
they went on and on, when suddenly they saw a fire burning, and they
said: "Let's go and spend the night there, lest the wolves should eat
us." But when they got there, lo and behold! it was the wolves
themselves who were cooking their porridge, and so they said: "Good
evening, young fellows, and good appetite to you!" And the wolves
answered: "Good evening, Mr. Goat and Mr. Ram! We're just boiling our
porridge, come and have some, and then we'll eat you both up." At this
the goat took fright, while as for the ram, his legs had been shaking
with fear for some time. Then the goat began to think, and he thought
and thought and at last he said: "Come now, Mr. Ram, let's have a look
at that wolf's head you've got in your sack!" And the ram took out the
wolf's head, when the goat said: "No, not that one. Let's have the other
bigger one!" And again the ram gave him the same head, but he said: "No,
not that one either! let's have the largest of all!"
And the wolves looked, and thought the ram had a whole sackful of
wolves' heads, and each one of them said to himself: "Well, these are
nice guests to have! I'd better hop off!" And first one said aloud to
the others: "I like your company all right, brothers, but somehow, the
porridge doesn't seem to be boiling very well. I'll just run and fetch
some sticks to throw on the fire."
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