This Butcher had killed many goats in his day, but he never before heard one of them talk. Goats can talk to each other, as you must have heard; but most of them do not learn English. So the Butcher thought there must be something special about this Goat, and did not kill him.
The Goat felt very grateful that his life had been spared for a few more happy summers; and when he found himself free, the first thing he did was to go into the forest to see if he could find some means of repaying the Butcher's kind deed.
As he trotted along under the trees, stopping now and then to crop some tender shoot that came within reach, he met a Jackal.
"I am glad to see you, Goatee," said the Jackal; "and now I'm going to eat you."
"Don't be such a fool," said the Goat. "Can't you see I am nothing but skin and bones? Wait till I get fat. That's why I am here, just to get fat; and when I'm nice and fat, you may eat me and welcome."
The Goat was very skinny, in truth, and he pulled in his breath to make himself look more skinny. So the Jackal said—
"All right, look sharp, and be sure you look out for me on your way back."
"I shan't forget, Jackal," said the Goat. "Ta ta!"
By-and-by he fell in with a Wolf.
"Ha!" said the Wolf, smacking his lips; "here's what I want. Get ready, my Goat, for I am going to eat you."