Page:Grimm's Fairy Tales.djvu/28

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
10
THE WISHING TABLE

But the tailor was not satisfied with this, and went down to the stable. "Goat, have you really had enough to eat?" he asked; and the goat answered,—

"How can my hunger be allayed?
About the little graves I played
And could not find a single blade, Nan, Nan."

"The shameless young rascal!" cried the tailor, "to let an innocent animal like this starve!" and he ran upstairs, and drove the boy from the house with the yard-measure.

It was now the third son's turn, who, hoping to make things better for himself, let the goat feed on the leaves of all the shrubs he could pick out that were covered with the richest foliage. "Goat, have you had enough to eat?" he said, as the evening fell, and the goat answered,—

"I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf can I touch, Nan, Nan."

"Come along home then," said the boy, and he took her back and tied her up.

"Well," said the old tailor, "has the goat had her proper amount of food?"

"Why, she has eaten so much, not a leaf can she touch," answered the boy.

But the tailor felt mistrustful, and went down and asked, "Goat, have you really had enough to eat?" and the mischievous animal answered,—

"How can my hunger be allayed?
About the little graves I played
And could not find a single blade, Nan, Nan."

"Oh! what a pack of liars!" cried the tailor. "One