020. THE LAMB BROUGHT UP BY A GOAT. A wolf meeting a lamb one day in company with a goat, “Child,” says he, “you are mistaken; this is none of your mother, she is yonder” (pointing to a flock of sheep at a distance).
“It may be so,” says the lamb; “the person that happened to conceive me, and afterwards bore me a few months in her belly because she could not help it, and then dropt me she did not care where, and left me to the wide world, is I suppose, what you call my mother; but I look upon this charitable goat as such that took compassion on me in my poor helpless, destitute condition, and gave me suck; sparing it out of the mouths of her own kids, rather than that I should want it.”
“But sure,” says he, “you have a greater regard for her that gave you life, than for anybody else.”
“She gave me life! I deny that. She that could not so much as tell whether I should be black or white, had a great hand in giving me life to be sure! But, suppose it were so, I am mightily obliged to her, truly, for contriving to let me be of the male kind, so that I go every day in danger of the butcher. What reason then have I to have a greater regard for one to whom I am so little indebted for any part of my being, than for those from whom I have received all the benevolence and kindness which have hitherto supported me in life.” [more info]
“It may be so,” says the lamb; “the person that happened to conceive me, and afterwards bore me a few months in her belly because she could not help it, and then dropt me she did not care where, and left me to the wide world, is I suppose, what you call my mother; but I look upon this charitable goat as such that took compassion on me in my poor helpless, destitute condition, and gave me suck; sparing it out of the mouths of her own kids, rather than that I should want it.”
“But sure,” says he, “you have a greater regard for her that gave you life, than for anybody else.”
“She gave me life! I deny that. She that could not so much as tell whether I should be black or white, had a great hand in giving me life to be sure! But, suppose it were so, I am mightily obliged to her, truly, for contriving to let me be of the male kind, so that I go every day in danger of the butcher. What reason then have I to have a greater regard for one to whom I am so little indebted for any part of my being, than for those from whom I have received all the benevolence and kindness which have hitherto supported me in life.” [more info]
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