Part 23 (1/2)

She went a little farther, and she met an ox. So she said--

”Ox, ox, drink water!

Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Pig won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG]

But the ox would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a butcher. So she said--

”Butcher, butcher, kill ox!

Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Pig won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night.”

But the butcher would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rope. So she said--

”Rope, rope, hang butcher!

Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Pig won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night.”

But the rope would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said--

”Rat, rat, gnaw rope!

Rope won't hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Pig won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night.”

But the rat would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a cat. So she said--

”Cat, cat, kill rat; Rat won't gnaw rope; Rope won't hang butcher; Butcher won't kill ox; Ox won't drink water; Water won't quench fire; Fire won't burn stick; Stick won't beat dog; Dog won't bite pig; Pig won't get over the stile, And I shan't get home to-night.”

The cat said, ”If you will give me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.”

So the old woman gave the cat the milk, and when she had lapped up the milk--

The cat began to kill the rat; The rat began to gnaw the rope; The rope began to hang the butcher; The butcher began to kill the ox; The ox began to drink the water; The water began to quench the fire; The fire began to burn the stick; The stick began to beat the dog; The dog began to bite the pig; The pig jumped over the stile, And so the old woman got home that night.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decoration]

THIS is the key of the kingdom.

In that kingdom there is a city.

In that city there is a town.

In that town there is a street.

In that street there is a lane.

In that lane there is a yard.

In that yard there is a house.