ready,
Lisbeth?"

"I am milking my last goat."

Soon everything was done, and the animals stood waiting to be let out.

Ole had with him a strong band woven of willow withes, with an
ingeniously fastened loop at each end. One loop was for Peter's billy
goat, the other for Crookhorn. Ole thought it was a very fine apparatus
indeed.

"Where is Crookhorn?"

"In the cow house."

"Then I had better go in and get her myself. Bring your goat, Peter,
and hold him ready."

Peter called his big billy goat. It knew its name and came at once.

"Let me see how strong you are," said Peter. He took hold of its horns,
held its head down, and pushed against it. The billy goat bunted, took
a fresh start, bunted again,--they often played in this way,--and sent
Peter against the fence.

"There!" exclaimed Peter, picking himself up; "I rather think that
billy goat is strong enough to drag any goat along, no matter how big a
one." Peter fairly glowed with pride.

Ole, too, wanted to try the strength of the goat. Yes, it was an
amazingly strong goat.

Then Ole went into the cow house, and in a few moments came back
leading Crookhorn by the band of willow withes. The next step was to
fasten the other loop around the billy goat's neck, and behold! there
stood the two goats harnessed together. But neither of them seemed to
notice that anything had been done.

Lisbeth and the milkmaid and the boys waited a while expectantly; but
the billy goat rather enjoyed being looked at, and would not budge so
long as they and the flocks were near by. He merely stood still and
wanted to be petted.

So Ole said: "Let your animals out, Lisbeth, and start ours on the
path, Peter. Then we shall see a double-team grazing contest."

Lisbeth opened the gate and her animals crowded out, taking their
customary way up over the hill. Peter drove his own flock and Ole's
after them.

Seeing this, the billy goat thought it was high time for him to be
jogging along, so he took a step forward; but something was the matter.
He looked back. Who was playing tricks and hindering him?

He saw Crookhorn with all four legs planted fast on the ground and her
neck stretched out.

"Pooh! nothing but that," thought the billy goat, taking a couple of
steps forward. Crookhorn found herself obliged to follow, but she laid
her head back and struggled. Then the billy goat gathered all his
force, set his horns high in the air, and tugged at the band. He would
show he