Nursery Tales from Many Lands  by Eleanor L. and Ada M. Skinner

Lambikin

Once upon a time there was a wee, wee Lambikin who frisked about on his little legs and was happy all day long.

One day Lambikin set off to visit his Granny. As he went along he jumped for joy to think of all the good things Granny would give him to eat.

On the way he met a jackal, who looked at him and said,

"Lambikin, Lambikin, I'm going to eat you."

But Lambikin frisked about and said,

"You'll be better to eat when you are fatter, Lambikin. I'll wait," said the jackal. So he let Lambikin go on.

By and by Lambikin met a tiger, looked at him and said,

"Lambikin, Lambikin, I'm going to eat you."

But Lambikin frisked about and said,

"You'll be better to eat when you fatter, Lambikin. I'll wait," said the tiger. So he let Lambikin go on.

By and by he met a wolf, and then he met a dog, and then he met an eagle. Each one of these said to him,

"Lambikin, Lambikin, I'm going to eat you."

But to each one Lambikin said,

On Lambikin went until he reached Granny's house. He said to her, "Granny, dear, I've promised that I shall fatter grow, so please put me into the corn-bin at once."

"Well," said Granny, "you're a good little Lambikin. Into the corn-bin you shall go at once."

There he stayed seven days. He ate and ate and ate. He grew so fat he could scarcely walk.

You are fat enough now, Lambikin, and you must go home."

But cunning Lambikin said, "Oh, Granny, that will never do. I'm so plump and tender that some animal will eat me. I will tell you what to do. Make me a wee drumikin out of an old skin. I can sit inside and trundle along nicely, for I'm as tight as a drum myself."

So Granny made a wee drumikin with the wool inside. Lambikin curled himself up snug and warm in the middle and trundled away.

By and by he met the eagle, who called out,

And wee Lambikin, curled up in his wee drumikin, called out,

"Dear me! Dear me!" said the eagle." "What a tender bit I've missed!"

Away trundled Lambikin laughing and singing to himself,

Each animal he met asked,

And wee Lambikin, curled up in his wee drumikin, called out,

"Dear me! Dear me!" said each animal. "What a tender bit I've missed!"

Away trundled Lambikin, laughing and singing to himself.

At last he met the jackal, limping along and looking very sad. When he saw the wee drumikin, he called out,

And wee Lambikin, curled up in his wee drumikin, called out,

But the jackal knew his voice.

"Oho! Lambikin!" he called out. "So you have turned yourself inside out, have you?"