LITTLE TABLE SET THYSELF, GOLD-ASS, AND CUDGEL OUT OF THE SACK
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Grimm, Jacob, Grimm, Wilhelm, Olcott, Frances Jenkins, and Cramer, Rie
There was once upon a time, a tailor, who had three sons and only one goat. But as the goat supported the whole of them with her milk, she was obliged to have good food, and to be taken every day to pasture. The sons, therefore, did this, in turn.
Once, the eldest took her to the churchyard, where the finest herbs were to be found, and let her eat and run about there. At night, when it was time to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and took hold of the cord round her neck, led her into the stable and tied her up securely.
“Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?”
“Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.”
But the father wished to satisfy himself, and went down to the stable, stroked the dear animal and asked, “Goat, are you satisfied?”
The goat answered:
“With what should I be satisfied? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no food, so went without, Ma! Ma!”
“What do I hear?” cried the tailor, and ran up-stairs and said to the youth, “Hollo, you liar; you said the goat had had enough, and have let her go hungry!” and in his anger, he took the yard-measure from the wall, and drove him out with blows.
Next day, it was the turn of the second son, who looked out for a place in the fence of the garden, where nothing but good herbs grew. And the goat cleared them all off.
At night, when he wanted to go home, he asked, “Goat, are you satisfied?”
The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and led her home and tied her up in the stable.
“Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?”
“Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.”
The tailor would not rely on this, but went down to the stable and said, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The goat answered:
“With what should I be satisfied? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no food, so went without, Ma! Ma!”
“The godless wretch!” cried the tailor, “to let such a good animal go hungry,” and he ran up and drove the youth out of doors with the yard-measure.
Now came the turn of the third son, who wanted to do the thing well, and sought out some bushes with the finest leaves, and let the goat devour them.
In the evening when he wanted to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and led her into the stable, and tied her up.
“Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had a proper amount of food?”
“She has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.”
The tailor did not trust to that, but went down and asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The wicked beast answered:
“With what should I be satisfied? Among the graves I leapt about, And found no leaves, so went without, Ma! Ma!”
“Oh, the brood of liars!” cried the tailor, “each as wicked and forgetful of his duty as the other! Ye shall no longer make a fool of me,” and, quite beside himself with anger, he ran up-stairs and belabored the poor young fellow so vigorously with the yard-measure that he sprang out of the house.
The old tailor was now alone with his goat. Next morning he went down into the stable, caressed the goat and said, “Come, my dear little animal, I myself will take you to feed.”
He took her by the rope and conducted her to green hedges, and amongst milfoil, and whatever else goats like to eat. “There you may for once eat to your heart’s content,” said he to her, and let her browse till evening.
Then he asked, “Goat, are you satisfied?” She replied:
“I have eaten so much, Not a leaf more I’ll touch, Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the tailor, and led her into the stable, and tied her fast.
When he was going away, he turned round again and said, “Well, are you satisfied for once?”
But the goat did not behave better to him, and cried: