Once upon a time animal stories

by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

But Bruin said, “Ah, Boots, I am much too fat to chase Hairlock. Go to the fir tree and ask him to trap Hairlock.”

So Boots ran to the fir tree, and he said:

“Good Fir Tree, trap my nanny goat, Hairlock, who stands on the top of yonder crag, and will not come home to be milked.”

But the fir tree only bent and swayed in the wind, and said, “Ask the woodcutter to fell me, Boots.”

So Boots ran to the woodcutter, and he said:

“Good Woodcutter, fell the fir tree, that he may trap my nanny goat, Hairlock, who stands at the top of yonder crag, and will not come home to be milked.”

But the woodcutter said, “Ask the joiner if he will buy my wood, Boots.”

So Boots went to the joiner, and he said:

“Good Joiner, will you buy wood from the woodcutter, that he may fell the fir tree? Then the fir tree will trap my nanny goat, Hairlock, who stands at the top of yonder crag and will not come home to be milked.”

“That I will, Boots,” said the joiner.