HOW THE BILLY GOAT LOST HIS TAIL The side lawn was the scene of a noisy fray between the old house cat and big dog, Bray. Servants from the neighborhood had quickly gathered to urge on the sport. Some of the children, Willis among the loudest, were crying and beseeching the men servants to save "poor Kitty," which they reluctantly did to the extent of allowing her to escape up an old crab apple tree. "I wush ter de Lawd he had er kilt her," said Phyllis, letting her rheumatic limbs down by degrees to a sitting posture on the grass, "'Ceitful old thing, I don't blame Bray!" "I love my Kitty!" cried Willis as he ran to the tree. There he earnestly advised the cat to stay just where she was until Bray went to sleep. A few of the larger children lingered expecting another fight, as Bray continued to bark and jump about the tree. "You ne'en ter tell dat cat ter take keer er _her_se'f! She des settin' up dat tree glis'nin' dem old green eyes on Bray an' sayin' ter 'erse'f: 'Nuv'r mind, I'm gwine fix you soon es I git down fum hyah!'" "What can she do, Mammy Phyllis?" asked one of the larger girls. "She's too little to hurt Bray!" "Yas, an' ole Sis' Cat wus lit'ler'n her, an' yit she come mighty nigh ter fixin' Ned Dog an' Billy Goat, too! Doan nuv'r put no 'pindence in Sis Tabby's fokes." "Oh, Mammy Phyllis, _please_ tell us about Ned Dog," and the children gathered around her pressing the request. "Doan ax me ter tell nuthin' long as Willis keep foolin' roun' Bray wid dat switch!" Mammy pretended to rise, but two of the older children ran and coaxed Willis to sit by them and listen to the story. "Now, Mammy Phyllis, go on, he's going to sit still, ain't you Willis?" said one. "I want ter whoop Bray," muttered Willis only half satisfied. "Atter I tells you how 'ceitful Sis' Cat act ter Ned Dog, I boun' you'll change yo' chune! 'Member dat party Miss Race Hoss give an' how it broke up wid all uv 'em quoilin' an' 'busin' ole Brer Bar? Po' Brer Bar nuv'r got no vit'als neeth'r. Well, when Sis' Cat lef' dat party, she wus so mad she cudn't walk straight! She come er flyin' down de big road right catacornder'd! Dat is, she run in de road one minit, an' de nex' un, she fotch up on de side er de mount'in; den hyah she come back ergin in de road! Well, one uv de times she lit on de mount'in she fotch up right in front er Mist'r Rattlesnake's house. Mist'r Rattlesnake had des got out er bed an' stuck his head out'n his house ter git er little fresh air, when Sis' Cat come _blip! right in his face_! He lick' out his tongue an' say: "'Name er de Lawd, Sis' Cat!' "Sis' Cat say: 'Name er de Lawd, Mist'r Rattlesnake! Howcum you gittin' up dis time de year?' "'I thought I heerd m' 'larm clock go off,' he say. "'You ain' hyah no thunder Mister Rattlesnake! You kin g'long back ter baid an' take er three weeks' nap,' sez Sis' Cat. "'I'm sho' I heerd thunder er som'thin' pow'ful like it,' sez Mister Rattlesnake.