Billy Whiskers

Billy Whiskers, by Francis Trego Montgomery

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Title: Billy Whiskers The Autobiography of a Goat
Author: Francis Trego Montgomery
Illustrator: W. H. Fry
Release Date: September 3, 2006 [EBook #19167]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration: "LOOK HERE, THAT IS MY GOAT!"]

BILLY WHISKERS
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A GOAT

by
Frances Trego Montgomery
Illustrated by W. H. Fry

Saalfield Publishing Company,
Akron, Ohio,
1902.
* * * * *

CONTENTS
MR. WAGNER BUYS A GOAT
BILLY WHISKERS MAKES TROUBLE
BILLY AT THE SODA FOUNTAIN
BILLY GIVES THE BOYS A DUCKING IN THE MILL POND
BILLY'S ADVENTURES IN TOWN
BILLY HAS A RIDE IN THE POLICE PATROL WAGON
BILLY JOINS THE FIRE PATROL
BILLY AND NANNY GET INTO MISCHIEF
BILLY AND NANNY ARE MARRIED
BILLY AS A PERFORMER IN THE CIRCUS
BILLY AND THE SNAKES
WHAT BILLY DID ON SUNDAY
WHAT BILLY DID ON MONDAY
WHAT BILLY DID ON TUESDAY
WHAT BILLY DID ON WEDNESDAY
WHAT BILLY DID ON THURSDAY
WHAT BILLY DID ON FRIDAY
BILLY FINDS NANNY
* * * * *

ILLUSTRATIONS
"LOOK HERE, THAT IS MY GOAT!" Frontispiece
IN TWO MINUTES, HE HAD SENT THE DOG FLYING OVER THE FENCE.
THE ITALIAN WAS SO HORRIFIED AND DISMAYED TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT HE FORGOT WHAT LITTLE ENGLISH HE KNEW.
THIS CALLED FORTH A SHOUT OF GLEE FROM THE POLICEMEN WHO WERE LOOKING OVER THE FENCE.
THE FARMER STOPPED TO SEE WHAT ALL THE ROW WAS ABOUT.
"OH, MY! LOOK AT THIS QUEER-LOOKING GOAT WITH THREE HORNS. DON'T HE LOOK FIERCE?"
* * * * *

Mr. Wagner Buys a Goat
Mr. Wagner lived about two miles from a small town, and he thought it would be nice for his boys to have a little goat cart, so they could drive into town for mail and do errands for the family.
Without saying anything to his family, he appeared one evening leading a nice, docile looking, long-bearded Billy goat, hitched to a beautiful new red wagon.
Of course, the boys were wild with delight, and their mother disgusted, for she predicted that he would be more bother than he was worth, and would eat up all the things in the garden. They answered her that they would take good care that he never got loose, and that no wrong would happen, if she would only let them keep the goat. So with many misgivings she gave her consent, and Billy was led to the stable behaving like a lamb.
The boys christened him Billy Whiskers immediately, on account of his long white beard. It being a warm night, they tied him near a shed, so if it rained he could go under it for protection, and giving him some grass and a bucket of water, they went to bed to dream of the fun they were going to have the next day with Billy Whiskers.
It was five hours later when Billy awakened from his first long sleep, and feeling refreshed, thought he would take a look around. It was bright moonlight, and as all the lights were out in the house, he knew he would not be disturbed, for when he went to a new place he did not like to be interfered with when he made his first explorations, and he always preferred making them at night, and alone. You will no doubt think that he could not explore much, tied to a short rope, but if you think the rope made any difference you do not know the ways of an educated goat, and Billy had no Kindergarten education either, but a regular High School training in that respect.
He turned, and taking the rope in his mouth as he had done many times before, he quietly and peacefully chewed it until it fell apart, and then with a kick of his heels, and a wink at the house, he went toward the garden. From this direction the evening breeze was wafting to his nostrils sweet odors of dew-sprinkled lettuce and tender beet tops.
He ate up all the lettuce, or at least all the choice heads, and what beets he did not eat, he stepped on. Then he walked across the flower beds, and trampled down all the flowers, in a short cut to the pump, for he was getting thirsty.
On his way to the pump he thought he saw a man coming down the road, so he hurried along and went up on the veranda of the house to stand in the shadow until the man went by, for he knew that men often interfere with a goat's pleasure, even if it is only a moonlight stroll.
The man having