here,' replied John, and he laughed loud and
long as he saw the look of surprise in the men's faces.

"What do you mean, you young rascal, by fooling us so?" they cried.

If they could have caught John, they would have given him a sound
whipping, but he had run out of their reach.

Not many days after, these same men heard the cry, "Wolf! wolf!"

"John is trying to fool us again," they said, and went on with their
work.

John called again and again, and seemed in so much trouble that the
kind-hearted men left their work and hurried toward the sheep pasture.

When they came to the pasture, they knew that John had been playing
another trick on them. They looked for him, but could not find him. He
had hidden in some bushes where he could look on and enjoy their
surprise and anger. At last they went back to their work.

One day wolves did come. John was very much frightened. He ran to the
men for help. They only laughed at him. "Oh, you have fooled us twice,"
they said. "You shall not have another chance."

"But the wolves are surely there," cried John. "They are killing the
sheep. Do come and help!" The men kept on with their work and did not
even look at John.

Before he could find anyone who would believe him, many of the sheep
had been killed.

THE TWO GOATS

A small stream ran between two hills. Over this stream there was a very
narrow bridge. If two persons came to the opposite ends of this bridge
at the same time, one must wait for the other to cross before he could
go over.

One morning, two goats, a black one and a white one, reached the
opposite ends of the bridge at the same moment.

The black goat called out to the white one, "Hold on a minute; I am
coming over."

The white goat replied, "No, I will go over first; I am in a hurry."

"No," said the black goat, "I will not wait for you. I am the older."

"You shall wait for me," roared the white goat as he stepped upon the
bridge and started across.

"We'll see if I am to wait for you," said the black goat, and he too
started across.

They met in the middle of the bridge.

"Go back and let me cross,' said the white goat, stamping his foot.

"Go back, yourself," replied the black goat, and he pushed against the
other.

They were very angry. Each drew back. Their heads came together with
terrible force. They locked horns. The white goat lost his footing and
fell, pulling the black goat over with him, and both were drowned.