“Like the sheep, the goat possesses great natural affection for its young.  In its defence it boldly repels the attacks of the most formidable opponents.  I remember a little story which finely illustrates this instinctive courage.

“A person having missed one of his goats when his flock was taken home at night, being afraid the wanderer would get among the young trees in his nursery, two boys, wrapped in their plaids, were ordered to watch all night.  The morning had but faintly dawned, when they set out in search of her.  They at length discovered her on a pointed rock at a considerable distance, and hastening to the spot perceived her standing watching her kid with the greatest anxiety, and defending it from a fox.  The enemy turned round and round to lay hold of his prey, but the goat presented her horns in every direction.  The youngest boy was despatched for assistance to attack the fox, and the eldest, hallooing and throwing up stones, sought to intimidate it as he climbed to rescue his charge.  The fox seemed well aware that the child could not execute his threats; he looked at him one instant, and then renewed the assault, till, quite impatient, he made a sudden effort to seize the kid.  The whole three suddenly disappeared, and were found at the bottom of the precipice.  The goat’s horns were darted into the back of the fox; the kid lay stretched beside her.  It is supposed that the fox had fixed his teeth in the kid, for its neck was lacerated; but that when the faithful mother inflicted a death wound upon her mortal enemy he probably staggered, and brought his victims with him over the rock.

“There is another story of the goat, which places its gratitude and affection in such an interesting light, that I am sure it will delight you:—­

“After the final suppression of the Scottish Rebellion of 1715, by the decisive Battle of Preston, a gentleman who had taken a very active share in it escaped to the West Highlands to the residence of a female relative, who afforded him an asylum.  As in consequence of the strict search which was made after the ringleaders, it was soon judged unsafe for him to remain in the house of his friend, he was conducted to a cavern in a sequestered situation, and furnished with a supply of food.  The approach to this lonely abode consisted of a small aperture, through which he crept, dragging his provisions along with him.  A little way from the mouth of the cave the roof became elevated, but on advancing, an obstacle obstructed his progress.  He soon perceived that, whatever it might be, the object was a living one, but unwilling to strike at a venture with his dirk, he stooped down, and discovered a goat and her kid lying on the ground.  The animal was evidently in great pain, and feeling her body and limbs, he ascertained that one of her legs had been fractured.  He bound it up with his garter, and offered her some of his bread; but she refused to eat, and stretched out her tongue, as if intimating that her mouth was parched with thirst.  He gave her water, which she drank greedily, and then she ate the bread.  At midnight he ventured from the cave, pulled a quantity of grass and the tender branches of trees, and carried them to the poor sufferer, which received them with demonstrations of gratitude.