THE GOAT. 21 



of its opponents. The following anecdote beautifully illus- 

 trates this instinctive courage. 



A person having missed one of his goats when the flock 

 was taken home at night, being afraid the wanderer would 

 get among the young trees in his nursery, two boys, wrapped 

 in their plaids, were ordered to watch all night. At the 

 earliest dawn of morning they set out in search of her, and 

 finally discovered her on a pointed rock at a considerable 

 distance ; after having hastened to the spot, they found her 

 watching her kid with the greatest anxiety, and defending 

 it from a fox. The enemy turned round and round to lay 

 hold of the prey, but the goat presented her horns in every 

 direction. The youngest boy was sent for assistance to 

 attack the fox, and the eldest, hallooing and throwing stones, 

 sought to intimidate it as he climbed to rescue his charge. 

 The fox seemed well aware that the child could not execute 

 his threats ; he looked at him one instant and again returned 

 to the assault, until, quite impatient, he made a sudden effort 

 to seize the kid. The whole three suddenly disappeared, 

 and were found at the bottom of the precipice. The goat's 

 horns were darted into the back of the fox ; the kid Jay 

 stretched beside her. It is supposed that the fox had fixed 

 his teeth in the kid, for its neck was lacerated ; but that 

 when the faithful mother inflicted a death-wound upon her 

 mortal enemy he probably staggered, and brought his vic- 

 tims with him over the rock. 



