- "One of the goats, a white one with black patches, was lying down in a cart. It was easy to see why. Something, probably a dog, had mauled her shoulder and infection had set in."
- —Katniss Everdeen's description of the injured Lady[src]
Lady was the goat that belonged to Primrose Everdeen. She was given to Prim for her tenth birthday by Katniss Everdeen, Prim's sister, and provided milk and cheese for the family.[1]
Quick Answers
Who gave Lady the goat to Primrose Everdeen?
What was the significance of Lady the goat in Primrose Everdeen's life?
How did Katniss Everdeen acquire Lady the goat?
What role did Lady the goat play in the Everdeen family's survival?
Who was the original owner of Lady the goat before Katniss Everdeen bought her?
Biography[]
Katniss and Gale presenting Prim with Lady in The Hunger Games: Illustrated Edition.
When Katniss first saw Lady, she belonged to the Goat Man. Katniss and Gale had shot a deer earlier that day and gotten a decent price for it. Katniss wanted to buy Prim something for her birthday, and was heading to the market on the square to buy dress fabrics when the Goat Man and his herd of goats caught her attention. Lady was lying down in a cart, as her shoulder had been bitten and infected, likely by a dog. Katniss wanted to buy the goat for Prim, realizing it would make her even happier when she could also take care of the goat's wound. The goat was originally going to be bought by Rooba, a butcher from District 12, for slaughtering, but Rooba recognized Katniss trying to buy the goat and let her have Lady with a wink to Katniss. Katniss bartered with the Goat Man for half an hour before settling on a price. Immediately after purchasing Lady, Katniss bought a pink ribbon and tied it around the goat's neck. Prim was so excited when she got the goat that she cried and laughed all at once. Even though Mrs. Everdeen was worried about the goat's odds of survival, she and Prim managed to restore Lady to full health.[2]
Right after the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss told Prim that she could make cheese from Lady's milk to sell after remembering the failed attempt to teach her sister to hunt in the woods.[3] When Peeta Mellark became badly injured in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss told him about how she had acquired Lady, altering details about how she had gotten the money as the entire population of Panem was listening.[2]
To cover for Katniss being out in the woods, Katniss and Prim lied about having discussed meeting the Goat Man about getting Lady pregnant. In their story, Katniss had misremembered Prim's directions and gone to the wrong place, explaining her lengthy absence.[4]
Katniss went back to her home in District 12 after it was bombed by the Capitol, but could only find Prim's cat, Buttercup, so she assumed that Lady had died.[5]
Physical description[]
Lady was a white goat with black patches, and when Katniss first brought her home for Prim, Lady wore a pink ribbon around her neck.[2]
Trivia[]
- Lady is one of two named goats in the books, both female; the other goat is Shamus, belonging to the Covey in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
References[]
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Hunger Games, Chapter 20
- ↑ The Hunger Games, Chapter 3
- ↑ Catching Fire, Chapter 11
- ↑ Mockingjay, Chapter 1