Ukrainian Folk Tales [antikvár]

NIBBLY-QUIBBLY THE GOAT Once upon a time there lived an Old Man and an Old Woman. One day the Old Man went to a fair and he bought a Goat. He took the Goat home and early the next morning told his eldest son to take it out to graze. The youth grazed the Goat till evening and then drove it home. He drove it straight to the gate, and the Old Man stood there in his red boots and said: "Tell me, Little Goat, tell me, Nibbly-Quibbly, have you had enough to eat and to drink?" "No, Grandpa, I have not drunk or eaten," the Goat replied. "As I ran by a tree with a hop and a skip, I whisked off a,leaf and nibbled the tip. As I ran by a brook with a skip and a hop, I scooped up some water and had a drop! And that was all that I ate and all that I drank." The Old Man was very angry with his son for not having looked after the Goat properly and turned him out of the house. On the next day he told his younger son to take the Goat out to graze. The youth grazed the Goat till evening and then drove it home. He drove the Goat straight to the gate, and the Old Man stood there in his red boots and said: "Tell me, Little Goat, tell me, Nibbly-Quibbly, have you had enough to eat and to drink?" "No, Grandpa, I have not drunk or eaten," the Goat replied. "As I ran by a tree with a hop and a skip, I whisked off a leaf and nibbled the tip. As I ran by a brook with a skip and a hop, I scooped up some water and had a drop! And that was all that I ate and all that I drank."