But the ox would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a butcher.

So she said

Butcher, butcher, kill ox!
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the butcher would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rope. So

she said

Rope, rope, hang butcher!
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;
Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the rope would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a rat. So

she said

"Rat, rat, gnaw rope!
Rope won't hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick;
Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the rat would not.

She went a little farther, and she met a cat.

So

she said

"Cat, cat, kill rat;

Rat won't gnaw rope;
Rope won't hang butcher;
Butcher won't kill ox;
Ox won't drink water;
Water won't quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Pig won't get over the stile,

And I shan't get home to-night."

The cat said, "If you will give me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat."

So the old woman gave the cat the milk, and when she had lapped up the milk—

The cat began to kill the rat;
The rat began to gnaw the rope;
The rope began to hang the butcher;
The butcher began to kill the ox;
The ox began to drink the water;
The water began to quench the fire;
The fire began to burn the stick;
The stick began to beat the dog;

The dog began to bite the pig;

The pig jumped over the stile,

And so the old woman got home that night.