The Animals That Found a Home, The Animals Run Away.
Once, a sheep was being fed in a pen so that he would get fat.
His master came one day to the pen and said, Eat all you want, poor sheep.
Soon I will take you to market and sell you.
Then you will be killed and eaten.
I think I shall have something to say about that, thought the sheep.
He ate all the food he could.
Then he pushed against the door and got out.
Now that I am out of this pen, said the sheep, I will find my friend the pig.
The pig was in his pen eating corn.
Good day, friend pig, said the sheep.
You are much fatter than the last time we met.
Good day to you, my friend, grunted the pig.
The sheep asked, Do you know why you are fed so well?
No, said the pig, and kept on eating.
Well, eat all you want now, poor pig, said the sheep.
One of these days they will take you to the market and sell you, and then you will be roast pig.
I hope I shall have something to say about that, said the pig.
I certainly don't want to be roast pig.
Then leave your pen and come with me, said the sheep.
We will build a house and live together.
Very well, said the pig.
I will do it.
When they had gone a little farther, they came to a meadow.
There they saw a fat goose.
She was eating meal as fast as she could.
Good day, friend goose, said the pig.
You are looking very fat.
Good day to you, said the goose.
You are not very thin yourself.
Do you know why you are fed so well? asked the sheep.
No, said the goose, and went on eating.
Well, eat all you want, poor goose, said the sheep.
Soon you will be taken to market and sold.
Then one of these days you will be roast goose.
I hope I shall have something to say about that, said the goose.
I certainly don't want to be roast goose.
We are going to build a house in the forest, said the sheep.
Let me go with you, said the goose.
What can you do? asked the pig.
I can put mud in the cracks between the boards, said the goose.
Then the house will be warm.
Come along, grunted the pig.
When they had gone a little farther, they saw a rooster.
Good day to you, friend rooster, said the sheep.
You are much fatter than you were last time we met.
Good day to you, said the rooster.
You are not very thin yourself.
Do you know why you are fed so well, asked the sheep.
No, said the rooster.
Soon you will be taken to market and sold, said the sheep.
Someone will cut off your head with a sharp axe, and you will be roasted and eaten.
I hope I shall have something to say about that, said the rooster.
I certainly don't want to be killed and eaten.
Where are you going, my friends?
We are going to the forest to build a house, said the sheep.
May I go too, asked the rooster.
What can you do, asked the pig.
I can wake you early in the morning, said the rooster.
Come along then, said the sheep.
The New Home So they all went to the forest together and built a house.
The sheep and the pig were strong, and they did the hard work.
They put the logs together for the sides of the house and made a roof of wide boards.
The goose filled the cracks with mud to keep out the snow, the sleet, and the rain.
The rooster woke the others up early every morning with his loud crowing.
They were all very happy together in the little home they had built.
Two bad wolves lived in the forest close by.
As soon as they saw the little house, one of the wolves said, We have some new neighbors.
I wonder what they look like.
I will go to see, said the second wolf.
I am hungry, and perhaps they will be good to eat.
So he crept through the forest to the house of his new neighbors and went right in without stopping to knock.
The sheep and his friends had seen the wolf creeping along through the forest toward their house.
They knew that he wanted to eat them up, and they were ready for him.
They all kept very still until the wolf was in the room.
Then the sheep ran at him and bumped him with his horns.
The pig bit the wolf's toes with his sharp teeth.
The goose snapped at his heels.
The rooster flew to the top of the chimney above them and began to crow as loud as he could.
They threw the wolf out of the house and he ran back to his home.
How do you like our new neighbors? asked the first wolf.
Neighbors? growled the second wolf.
Nice neighbors they are.
As soon as I went through the door, a great giant beat me and bumped me with his horns.
Then a big troll bit and bit my toes.
A terrible beast snapped at my heels and a bad old witch flew to the top of the chimney and screamed Throw him out.
Throw him out!
Oh, how they bit me and bumped me!
Oh, how they bit me and bumped me!
I certainly won't go there again, and if you are wise, you will stay away too.
The wolves were so frightened, that they never went near their neighbors again.
So the sheep and his friends were happy in their home in the forest.
Now we can eat all we want and get as fat as we please, said the pig.
