They were wandering through the Goblin City Marketplace when they overheard the arguement. Sarah had slyly become part of the crowd, leaving Didiymus and Hoggle to scurry after her.
There were three voices in the heated discussion; two were Goblin, one was... Not. Sarah didn't know what it was that was producing the slightly deeper, heavily accented voice, so she crept closer.
"This is a pedigree chicken, worth two pigs or one goat. I will not give you three chickens for that goat if you insist on having this one," one Goblin voice said firmly.
"Yeah? And this is a magic goat. She's nigh twenty and still prances like a kid," the second Goblin retorted.
"I most certainly do not!" Replied the deeper voice. Nearer now, Sarah could see over the heads of the City Goblins to watch the arguing trio. One was a chicken vendor, peddling his chickens, another was a Hobgoblin visiting from the mountains, and the last was a silver-coated goat with one horn that probably only reached to Sarah's knee.
"You do so," the Hob said to the goat. "Anyway, what's so great about your chicken, then? It doesn't even speak!"
"Ah, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great chicken," the peddler argued. "Its mother won Best in Show at the chicken competition three years running, and its father was a prized Impling jousting steed!"
"Still doesn't mean it's worth a goat all by itself," the Hob disagreed.
"I don't want to be traded," the goat put in suddenly. "I rather like the mountain. I don't care if your inlaws are visiting, it's better than the City." Sarah started to snicker, but quietly; and when Hoggle finally found her, Sarah shushed him so she could continue listening to the rather entertaining trio. "Besides, what would a chicken seller do with me? I really don't mind staying outside for a week," the goat added.
The Hob continued to debate with the peddler the pedigrees of chickens, and the goat complained all the while, until the debate drew the attention of the King, who sided with the goat and sent the Hob to face the family. The Goblin King looked around and caught sight of Sarah, snickering and leaning against a wall, with a very harried Hoggle and dignified Didymus at her side. The King frowned and strode over, reaching the group in a few short strides.
"I told you to keep her out of trouble," the King spoke directly to Hoggle, who bristled.
"I tried! An' it's not like she's done anythin' yet," Hoggle protested. "She got bored at the castle, an' you know how stubborn she gets," the dwarf continued, only to be cut off by Sarah.
"Stubborn as a goat," she said, nodding sagely, before the grin spread and she started laughing again.
Oro: I blame the AP Bio book, which mentions in passing how scientists are decoding DNA of certain animals, including chickens. The image of a Goblin in a lab coat and goggles popped up, as did this argument about chicken pedigrees.
Quill: (shakes head) This one's all you. I wouldn't stoop this low.
Oro: Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't own Labyrinth, review if you'd like, and all that jazz.