Billy Whiskers' Travels

by Frances Trego Montgomery

"You must have good times here," said Billy, sighing as he thought of all the places of trouble he had seen in his travels.

"We do," replied Dandy. "Of course it isn't all play. Now I just came in from hoeing the corn."

"You mean that Bobby hoed the corn while you pulled the hoe," croaked the crow. "Don't mind what he says, Mr. Goat. He'll make you think that he does it all around here," and then, laughing hoarsely, the crow flapped his wings and flew away.

Dandy laughed heartily.

"He thinks he's a great mischief maker, but nobody gets angry at what he says. He doesn't mean a bit of harm by it."

Just then Bobby came in with a pail of warm mash for Billy. The goat hardly knew whether he liked it at the first taste, but as he ate more of it and felt it warming him up inside, he began to realize how good it was, and after he had eaten all that Bobby thought it wise for him to have just then, he lay very contented and lazy while Bobby rubbed Dandy's smooth coat with a cloth.

Later in the evening a pretty, little red and white cow came into the barn and turned into her stall beside Dandy's. She was properly introduced to Billy, and the crow made so much fun of their politeness that he laughed until he fell out of the window, where he lay on the hay with his legs sticking up until he was quite through cackling.

"Yes, I heard all about your case," said Tiny, the cow. "King came out in the pasture to tell me about it. You were very unfortunate, but after all you were very lucky that you got to come here, where nobody ever even gets cross."

A sharp yelp behind her heels made Tiny jump half out of her hide, and then King, laughing at the trick he had played on her, sprang from behind her and over her stall to inquire about Billy. It seemed strange to Billy to have a dog come near him without getting ready for a fight, and he could not get over the surprise of being in a place where everybody seemed to get along so nicely. He could not understand it at all until Bobby came in again, and then he reflected that all these animals were simply trained to the kindness and gentleness that was in their master. Before he went to sleep that night Billy had some more mash and a few tender mustard plants to eat, and he slept like a top until morning.

Those were tiresome days for Billy. He did long to get out and play with the other animals, but he knew that he must first let his leg heal, so he stood it as patiently as he could. Bobby came to see him at least two or three times a day and rebandaged his leg as often as was needed. The leg healed rapidly, and at last Bobby said one morning: