bush and the
tuft of grass, and you will always be a dreaded enemy of all who come
near your resting-place."

Then they parted. The Goat went along the path, and came to the gardens
of a village, where a woman was chopping fuel. Looking up she saw a
creature with grand horns coming near to her, bleating. Her first
impulse was to run away, but seeing, as it bleated, that it was a
fodder-eating animal, with no means of offence, she plucked some manioc
greens and coaxed it to her, upon which the Goat came and spoke to her.

"Follow me, for I have a strange thing to show you a little distance
off."

The woman, wondering that a four-footed animal could address her in
intelligible speech, followed; and the Goat trotted gently before her to
where Lion lay dead. The woman upon seeing the body, stopped and asked,
"What is the meaning of this?"

The Goat answered, "This was once the king of beasts; the fear of him
was upon all that lived in the woods and in the wilderness. But he too
often boasted of his might, and became too proud. I therefore dared him
to fight a tiny creature of the bush, and lo! the boaster was slain."

"And how do you name the victor?"

"The Serpent."

"Ah! you say true. Serpent is king over all, except man," answered the
woman.

"You are of a wise kind," answered the Goat. "Serpent confessed to me
that man was his superior, and sent me to you that I might become man's
creature. Henceforth man shall feed me with greens, tender tops of
plants, and house and protect me; but when the feast-day comes, man
shall kill me, and eat of my flesh. These are the words of Serpent."

The woman hearkened to all Goat's words, and retained them in her
memory. Then she unrobed the Lion of his furry spoil, and conveyed it
to the village, where she astonished her folk with all that had happened
to her. From that day to this the goat kind has remained with the
families of man, and people are grateful to the Serpent for his gift to
them; for had not the Serpent commanded it to seek their presence, the
Goat had remained for ever wild like the antelope, its brother.

"Well done, Baruti," cried Chowpereh. "That is a very good story, and
it is very likely to be a true one too. Wallahi, there is some sense in
these pagans after all, and I had thought that their heads were very
woodeny." It is needless to say that the sentiments of Chowpereh were
generally shared, and that Baruti received the new dress he so