Page:Popular tales from the Norse (1912).djvu/624

 438 THE LION, THE GOAT, AND THE BABOON.

had a Goat for his wife. One day Goat went out to market, and while she was gone, Lion went out in the wood, where he met with Baboon, who made friends with Lion, for fear he would eat him, and asked him to go home with him; but the Lion thought it would be a good chance, so he asked the Baboon to go home with him and see his little ones. When they got home, the Baboon said to the Lion,

"Why, you have got plenty of little goats here."

The Lion said, "Yes, they are my children."

So the Baboon said, "If they are, they are little goats, and they are very good meat."

So the Lion said, "Don't make a noise; their mother will come presently, and we will see."

So these little goats took no notice, but went out to meet their mother, and told her what had passed.

Their mother said to them, "Go back, take no notice, and I shall come home presently, and shall do for him."

So she went and bought some molasses, and took it home with her. The Lion said, "Are you come; what news?"

"Oh!" she said, "good news, taste here." He tasted, and said, "It's very good, it's honey."

And she said, "It's baboon's blood, they have been killing one to-day, the blood is running in the street, and every one is carrying it away."

The Lion said, "Hush, there's one in the house, and we shall have him."

At this the Baboon rushed off, and when they looked for him, he was gone, and never came near them again, which saved the little goats' lives.