The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Pantheon Books) - Jacob Grimm [78]
“How should I be satisfied?
Among the ditches I leapt about,
Found no leaf, so went without, meh! meh!”
“What do I hear?” cried the tailor, and ran upstairs and said to the youth: “Hi, you liar; you said the goat had had enough, and have let her hunger!” and in his anger he took the yard-measure from the wall, and drove him out with blows.
Next day it was the turn of the second son, who sought a place in the fence of the garden, where nothing but good herbs grew, and the goat gobbled them all up. At night when he wanted to go home, he asked: “Goat, are you satisfied?” The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and led her home, and tied her up in the stable. “Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?” “Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.” The tailor would not rely on this, but went down to the stable and said: “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered:
“How should I be satisfied?
Among the ditches I leapt about,
Found no leaf, so went without, meh! meh!”
“The godless wretch!” cried the tailor, “to let such a good animal hunger,” and he ran up and drove the youth out of doors with the yard-measure.
Now came the turn of the third son, who wanted to do his duty well, and sought out some bushes with the finest leaves, and let the goat devour them. In the evening when he wanted to go home, he asked: “Goat, have you had enough?” The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and led her into the stable, and tied her up. “Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had her full share of food?” “She has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.” The tailor was distrustful, went down and asked: “Goat, have you had enough?” The wicked beast answered:
“How should I be satisfied?
Among the ditches I leapt about,
Found no leaf, so went without, meh! meh!”
“Oh, the brood of liars!” cried the tailor, “each as wicked and forgetful of his duty as the other! You shall no longer make a fool of me,” and, quite beside himself with anger, he ran upstairs and belabored the poor young fellow so vigorously with the yard-measure that he sprang out of the house.
The old tailor was now alone with his goat. Next morning he went down into the stable, stroked the goat and said: “Come, my dear little animal, I myself will take you to feed.” He took her by the rope and conducted her to green hedges, and amongst milfoil, and whatever else goats like to eat. “There you may for once eat to your heart’s content,” said he to her, and let her browse till evening. Then he asked: “Goat, are you satisfied?” she replied:
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!”
“Come home, then,” said the tailor, and led her into the stable, and tied her fast. When he was going away, he turned round again and said: “Well, are you satisfied for once?” But the goat behaved no better to him, and cried:
“How should I be satisfied?
Among the ditches I leapt about,
Found no leaf, so went without, meh! meh!”
When the tailor heard that, he was shocked, and saw clearly that he had driven away his three sons without cause. “Wait, you ungrateful creature,” cried he, “it is not enough to drive you forth, I will brand you so that you will no more dare to show yourself amongst honest tailors.” In great haste he ran upstairs, fetched his razor, lathered the goat’s head, and shaved her as clean as the palm of his hand. And as the yard-measure would have been too good for her, he brought the horsewhip, and gave her such cuts with it that she bounded away with tremendous leaps.
When the tailor was thus left