The Sheep and the Pig

Once there was a big fat sheep.

One morning the farm girl said,

"Eat, Sheep, for soon we shall eat you."

This scared the big sheep.

So he went to see the pig.

"Good-day, Pig," said the sheep,

"and thanks for our last merry meeting."

"Good-day, Sheep," said the pig,

"and the same to you."

"Do you know, Pig,

why they make you fat?"

"No, not I," said the pig.

"Then I will tell you," said the sheep.

"They are going to eat you."

This scared the pig.

"Let us go to the woods," he said.

"We can build a house to live in.

Then we shall have a home.

A home is a home, be it ever so lowly."

The pig said he would go,

so off they went.

When they had gone a bit of the way

they met a goose.

"Good-day, good sirs," said the goose,

"and thanks for our last merry meeting."

"Good-day, Goose," said the pig.

"Good-day, Goose," said the sheep.

"Whither away so fast to-day?"

said the goose.

"We go to the woods to build us a house.

A man's house is his castle."

"May I go with you?" asked the goose.

"What can you do, Goose?" asked the sheep.

"I can get moss to make the house warm."

Yes, they would let him go.

When they had gone a bit of the way,

a hare ran out of the woods.

"Good-day, good sirs," said the hare,

"and thanks for our last merry meeting.

Whither away so fast to-day?"

"Good-day to you," said the sheep.

"We go to the woods to build us a house.

There is no place like home."

"Oh!" said the hare,

"I have a house in every bush.

But I will go with you."

"What can you do?" said the pig.

"You can not build a house."

"Yes, I can," said the hare.

"I have teeth to gnaw pegs,

and I have paws to drive them.

I shall be the carpenter.

Good tools make good work."

So they all set off together.

Good company is such a joy.

When they had gone a bit of the way,

they met a cock.

"Good-day, good sirs," said the cock,

"and thanks for our last merry meeting.

Whither away so fast to-day?"

"Good-day, to you, Cock," said the sheep.

"We go to the woods to build us a house."

"What can you do, Cock?" asked the pig.

"Oh," said the cock,

"I will be the clock.

I will crow in the morning."

"Yes," said the pig,

"sleep is a great robber.

He steals half our lives.

We need you, Cock."

So they set off to the woods

to build the house.

The pig cut the logs.

The sheep drew them home.

The hare put them together.

The goose picked moss

and made the house warm.

And the cock crowed every morning.

So they all lived happily together.

It is good to go east and west,

but after all home is best.

— Norse Folk Tale