Kids are little goats. Goats do not like to live in the streets and houses, like the dogs and pigs. Goats love to run and jump about in the country, and to gnaw the bark of trees. Goats give very thick, rich milk. People cannot carry cows to sea in ships, so they take goats, which are smaller than cows, and do not take up so much room in the ship. Without goats, the people in ships would not have milk for their tea.

Mary, a little girl, who lived in a place where there are many goats, taking a walk one day, found a little kid; its mother, the old goat, had left it—it was almost dead.

Mary felt sorry for the poor little kid; she took it up, hugged it in her arms, and carried it home with her. She begged her mother to let her keep the kid for her own; her mother gave her leave.
Mary and her Goat

NEW-YORK

D. APPLETON & CO. 200 BROADWAY.

Mary got a basket full of clean straw, and laid it on the warm hearth, for a bed for the kid. She warmed some milk, and held it to him to drink; the kid drank it[123] and licked Mary’s hand for more. Mary was delighted when she saw him jump out of the basket, and run about the room; presently he lay down again and took a comfortable nap.

The next day, Mary gave her kid a name; he was an excellent jumper, so she called him Capriole. She showed him to all the family, and allowed her little brothers and sisters to stroke and pat him. Capriole soon followed Mary all about the house; trotted by her side into the yard; ran races with her in the field; fed out of her hand; and was a great pet at all times. Capriole soon grew troublesome; he thrust his nose into the meal tub, and flour box; and sometimes got a blow for sipping the milk.

Capriole’s little horns soon began to appear, and a white beard sprouted at the end of his chin; he grew bold enough to fight when he was angry, and sometimes th............