She went a little further, and she met a butcher. So she said, "Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won't drink water; water won't quench," etc. But the butcher would not.

66

But the

She went a little further, and she met a rope. So she said, Rope! rope! hang butcher; butcher won't kill ox," etc. rope would not.

She went a little further, and she met a rat. So "Rat! rat! gnaw rope; rope won't hang butcher," etc. rat would not.

she said,

But the

She went a little further, and she met a cat. So she said, "Cat! cat! kill rat; rat won't gnaw rope," etc. But the cat said to her, If you will got to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat." So away went the old woman to the cow.

But the cow said to her, "If you will go to yonder haymaker and ask him to give you a handful of hay, I will give you the milk."

So the old woman went, but the haymaker said to her, "If you will go to yonder stream and fetch us a bucket of water, I will give you the hay."

So away went the old woman, but when she got to the stream, she found the bucket was full of holes. So she covered the bottom with pebbles, and then filled the bucket with water and away she went with it back to the haymakers, who gave her the hay, and she brought it to the cow.

As soon as the cow had eaten the hay she gave the old woman the milk; and away she went with a saucer of milk to the cat.

As soon as the cat had lapped 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 little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home that night.