Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/312

296 blamed himself as being the cause of this trouble.

Then the crow said: "Tears and lamentations will not help our poor friend, so let us devise means of saving him. It is our part to show what we can do in a case of such need."

They thought hard, and finally decided upon a plan. The goat was to let himself be seen by the hunter, and to make out that he was lame. The hunter would then be sure of being able to catch him, and so lay down his sack, and run after him. As soon as he was far enough away from the sack (and it was the part of the goat to lead him as far away as possible) the weasel would again put his sharp teeth into use, and gnaw through the cord which would be tied around the mouth of the sack, and so free their friend.

So the goat ran with speed until he was in front of the hunter, and then he appeared to be lame and weary. As soon as the hunter saw him in such feeble condition he was sure he could catch him without difficulty, and so, throwing down his sack, he ran