After leaving the forest of mushrooms the path led through very rocky country and as they turned a cliff the party came upon a spring bubbling from the rocks and splashing down into a small stream far below. There were a number of cups near the spring, so the children ran up and took a drink. “Oh hurry!” they cried, “It’s a soda water spring!” After drinking all they wished they again set out upon their journey. When they finally left the rocky country and came upon a level stretch of road they saw approaching them an Old Woman. Gran’ma, the Princess and Janey had dismounted from the back of the Soft-Voiced Cow, for they did not wish to tire her. When the Old Woman came up to them, she caught the Soft-Voiced Cow by the tail and began dragging her back the way the party had come. Gran’pa was for making her let go of the Soft-Voiced Cow’s tail, but the Soft-Voiced Cow spoke gently and said, “Let her be; she is evidently an ill mannered person or she would not treat a stranger in this manner!” However, the Old Woman dragged the Soft-Voiced Cow down the road so fast the friction of the cow’s feet upon the roadway made them burn. So the Soft-Voiced Cow turned to the Old Woman and said, “I wish you would please let go of my tail! I do not care to travel in the direction you are taking me and besides you are making my feet burn.” But the Old Woman kept right on and paid no attention to the cow. When the Soft-Voiced Cow had been dragged back upon the road for about a mile with the little party following her, the Soft-Voiced Cow turned her head to the Old Woman and said in her gentle way, “My dear lady, I must insist that you let go of my tail, for you are delaying our party! We wish to go in the opposite direction! And if you drag me three more steps, I shall have to raise my heels and upset you!” At this, Gran’pa caught the Old Woman’s arm and said, “Why do you drag the Soft-Voiced Cow in this manner?” The Old Woman stopped and gazed at Gran’pa for a moment, “Does this Cow belong to you?” she asked. “Of course not!” Gran’pa replied. “Does she belong to anyone in your party?” the Old Woman asked. “Of course not!” Gran’pa replied. “Then,” said the Old Woman, “in that case, the Cow does not belong to you nor anyone else that you know of, so she must be lost. And anything which is lost belongs to the one who finds it! Therefore, since I found the Cow she belongs to me, so I will take her home and make ox tail soup out of her!” “Did you ever hear the like?” cried the Princess. “Do not let her take the Soft-Voiced Cow to make soup of!” The Old Woman again began dragging the Soft-Voiced Cow down the road. “Stand aside!” said the Soft-Voiced Cow. “ONE, TWO, THREE! There!” She raised her heels in the air and upset the Old Woman. “I promised that I would do it if you dragged me three more steps!” The Old Woman scrambled to her feet and shook her fist at Gran’ma. “You will pay for this!” she cried. “Just wait!” [Illustration]