THE FOX, THE GOAT, AND THE CARROTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1456, 11 October 1879, Page 23

THE FOX, THE GOAT, AND THE CARROTS.

UAK.KUTS. > . - ,<<--. (Translated from the French ) Once a fox and a goat were walking r together along a road, and saw a sack lying * against a hedge. %j ' \ , ,',..'. " What do you think is inside that sack V said the goat, 7 w j , "I will go and see" replied the fox; ; and r putting his nose into the mouth "of'the b.ag,' '\ tied tightly by a cord, he shook about the^ag* " bo much, that the string at last gave way^ajftd i the, finest carrots one could wish for |elj .put,;' "They are for me," said the fox «fiop",l -', opened the sick." . , . ( ■-"",>-! '- - "Yea," said the goat, "but I gave you -\ the idea, and if you touch them I, will tear, your sides with my horns." v „*"', \,, J s ' The fox looked at the, goat's grea^ horns and Bhowed his teeth. , t ( .. j », n The goat, on seeing the fox's feeth,; thought within herself, " I don't much' like that, kind of weapon/ , , „ - ,-...„- n- , And the fox said to himself, ' "Twill "'not 1 expose my sides to those terrible horns," After a miuute's silence the' < for i said, " Why do we stand looking at each, other ? What is the use of that ? Let ub see which ,•' is ihe stronger. See, there are two heaps of sbones. You shall take one and I the other. . He who shall first throw down Ma heap, shall eat the carrots." ■ • •: or,. .. "Very well," said the goat. So .they went to their heaps of stones. [' >< The goat put her legs firmly together, and struck with her horns so hard as to make' a great noise, but the heap did not shake. •• : . . " Ah 1 you did nob hit hard enough,'? aaidii the fox! : "'. ■ -■' ■ '-'•■ ' vi; ■• The goat went three steps baokwardß, arid • ran at the heap -with all' her might.-- But crack ! her horns broke. i •' '■> - -• t ">' si. When the fox saw that he' began i to skipqabout, "O my dear friend," cried he " the carrots belong to me now." ; - ■ j' " •^ r "Not yet," said the goat, "you have-not succeeded in your task yet; *If you touoh. the carrots, I will tear your sides with' the ■ stumps of my horns." ' '• =v - i ., - The fox looked at the goat, and- Baidtto,^ himself, "She has one left still, whiohii^v almost whole ; she will tear my sides with iti " " Well," said he, "I will knock: downmy heap then, it is nothing for me:" -.'j . t,<,; The fox began to dig with his fo^e-pawa^ until he had made a greafholeinthe ground ■ close to the heap. The ston-aa fell .over • into; the hole, but, alas ! they foil on the. fox ? ,aadt broke his paw. ' • "' ! Then the two looked at one another-mtue one with her broken horns,' the' other \withj; his broken paw. ' •' ■ . .o< " Run after the carrots," said the goat,: with a sneer, " I will give them up- to you.?'. '* I cannot," answered the fox, ."my.,paW' hurts me too much. Take them yourself.?!^ " That is just what I am-going to do," said the goat, and she ran for thesaok, but neither bag nor carrots were to be seen j while they were disputing, 'a man had>come along and carried all away. " Alaa," cried the goat, " how- stupid- we have been ! If we had divided the treasure,* we should have kept whole— l my horns, and you your paw, and each of us would have had more carrots than we could eat. ' ' "