Moni the Goat Boy, and Other Stories - Johanna Spyri

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his arm all the way. He picked the tenderest leaves and fed them to her, and the little kid showed her appreciation by rubbing her head against his arm and bleating contentedly from time to time. So the morning passed until Moni presently realized from his hunger that it had grown surprisingly late. But his lunch was in the little cave by the Pulpit, for he had intended to be back there by noon.

      "Now you have had many a good mouthful and I have had nothing," he said to his goats. "It is time I had something, too. Come, we'll go down; there is enough left for you on the lower slope."

      With that he whistled shrilly, and the whole flock started downward, the liveliest ones in the van; Swallow, the light-footed one—for whom there were unexpected things in store that day—in advance of them all. She jumped from rock to rock and over many a chasm; but suddenly she could go no farther, for directly in front of her stood a chamois, looking her saucily in the face. Swallow had never had such an experience before. She stood still and looked questioningly at the stranger, waiting for him to step aside and allow her to make the fine jump she had in mind to the opposite rock. But the chamois never moved, and stood staring boldly into Swallow's face. So they faced each other, getting more and more obstinate every moment; they would probably be standing there to this day had not Sultan come up at this point. Taking in the situation, he carefully moved past Swallow and pushed the stranger so forcibly to one side that he had to make a quick jump to escape sliding off the cliff. Then Swallow passed triumphantly on her way and Sultan marched proudly behind her, feeling himself to be the mighty protector of the herd.

      Meanwhile another meeting was taking place. Moni, coming from above, and another goat boy from below, had met face to face and were looking at each other in astonishment. But they were old acquaintances and, after their first surprise, greeted each other heartily. The newcomer was Jordie from Kueblis. He had been looking for Moni half the morning, and now found him where he least expected.

      "I did not think you went up so high with the goats," said Jordie.

      "To be sure I do," answered Moni, "but not always. I am generally somewhere near the Pulpit. But why are you up here?"

      "I wanted to see you; I have lots to tell you. And these two goats here I am taking to the hotel keeper; he wants to buy one—so I thought I'd visit you on the way."

      "Are they your goats?" asked Moni.

      "Of course they are. I don't herd other people's goats any longer. I'm not goat boy now."

      Moni was surprised at this, for Jordie had started out as goat boy of Kueblis at the same time that he had been chosen from Fideris. He could not understand how that could all be ended without a sign of regret on Jordie's part.

      But the boys had by this time reached the Pulpit. Here Moni brought out his bread and dried meat and invited Jordie to lunch. They sat out on the Pulpit and ate their lunch with a relish, for it had grown late and both were hungry. When they had eaten everything and finished off with a drink of goat's milk, Jordie stretched out full length on the ground and leaned his head on his arms; but Moni preferred to sit up and look out over the great valley.

      "But if you are no longer goat boy, Jordie, what are you?" Moni began. "You must be something."

      "Of course I am something—something worth while, you may believe," answered Jordie. "I am egg boy. I go to the hotels with eggs every day. I go up to the baths, too. Was there yesterday."

      Moni shook his head. "That wouldn't do for me—to be egg boy. No, I'd rather be goat boy, a thousand times rather. That is much better."

      "And why, I'd like to know?"

      "Eggs aren't alive. You can't talk with them, and they won't follow you like goats, and be glad when you come, and love you, and understand every word you say to them. You can't possibly enjoy your eggs as I do my goats."

      "Yes; great enjoyment you must have up here!" said Jordie scornfully. "What pleasures do you have? Since we've been sitting here you've had to jump up six times to run after that silly little goat, to keep her from falling over the rock. Is that any pleasure?"

      "Yes, I like it. You know that, Meggy, don't you? Careful, careful!" he called, jumping up and running after her, for in her joy she was capering about most recklessly.

      When he came back Jordie said, "Don't you know that there is another way of keeping young goats from falling over the cliffs, that will save your running after them every few minutes?"

      "How is that?" asked Moni.

      "Drive a stake into the ground and tie the goat to it by one leg; she will struggle desperately, but she can't get away."

      "You don't really think that I would do such a thing to little Meggy!" cried Moni indignantly, while he drew her close to him and held her fast, as though to defend her from such treatment.

      "This little one, of course, won't bother you much longer," Jordie went on. "There won't be many more times for it to come up."

      "What? what? What did you say, Jordie?"

      "Pshaw! Don't you know that the landlord doesn't mean to raise it? It is too weak; he thinks it will never grow to be a strong goat. He wanted to sell it to my father, but father did not want it. So now he is going to kill it, and then he will buy our Spottie."

      Moni had grown white with horror. For a moment he could not speak; then he broke forth in a loud wail over the little goat: "No, no! they shan't do it, my little Meggy; they shan't kill you. I won't have it; I'd rather die with you! No, no! I can't let them; I can't let them."

      "Don't carry on so!" said Jordie, annoyed; and he pulled Moni up from the ground, where he had thrown himself, face downward, in his grief. "Come, get up. You know the kid belongs to the landlord and he can do with it as he pleases. Don't think about it any more. Here, I have something else. Look! look here!" and Jordie held out one hand toward Moni, while with the other he almost covered something that he was offering for Moni's admiration. It flashed out most wonderfully from between his hands as the sun shone upon it.

      "What is it?" asked Moni, seeing it sparkle.

      "Guess!"

      "A ring?"

      "No; but something of the sort."

      "Who gave it to you?"

      "Gave it? Nobody. I found it."

      "Then it doesn't belong to you, Jordie."

      "Why not? I didn't steal it. I almost stepped on it; then it would have been crushed anyway. So I might as well have it."

      "Where did you find it?"

      "Down by the hotel last night."

      "Then somebody in the house lost it; you must tell the landlord. If you don't, I'll tell him this evening."

      "No, no! you mustn't do that," cried Jordie. "Look! I'll let you see it. I'm going to sell it to a chambermaid in one of the hotels; but she must give me at least four francs, and I will give you one, or perhaps two, and no one shall know anything about it."

      "I don't want it! I don't want it!" Moni interrupted angrily; "and God has heard every word you said."

      Jordie looked up to heaven. "Too far away," he said doubtfully, but he took care to lower his voice.

      "He'll hear you, anyway," said Moni with assurance.

      Jordie began to feel uncomfortable. He must get Moni over to his side or he would spoil the whole game. Jordie thought and thought.

      "Moni," he said suddenly, "I will promise you something that will please you, if you won't tell any one about what I found. And you needn't take any of the money; then you won't have anything to do with it. If you'll promise, then I will persuade father to buy little Meggy, so that she won't be killed. Will you?"

      That started a hard

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