Gray Goat and the New Field
Gray Goat and the New Field
1999
...He wasn't much of a goat as goats went. He had short, little, stubby legs. And short, little, stubby horns that weren't much good except to scare the kids from up the street. His fur was mottled brown and white and gray, but mostly gray. It was matted and dirty, and little red and yellow leaves stuck to him from Big Tree where he sat when he was tired or when the sun was too hot.
...One day Farmer drove into Goat's field with his truck. Goat and Cow ambled after him down to where a storm had tangled the stinging wire. Farmer climbed up into the back of his truck and grabbed some tools.
....Goat looked over the tangled mess of stinging wire and wood. It didn't look nearly as scary now as it usually did. He tried to gently take a bite of the vine and when it bit him he yelled "Nayyyyyy!" at it. Cow just watched from a safe distance and chewed some fresh green grass.
...Farmer grabbed up all the loose stinging wire and loaded it into his truck. Then he set to digging a fresh hole for a new post.Goat trotted over to watch.Out from the hole came lots of dirt and mud and bugs. Every now and again, Farmer would dig up some nice roots that Goat would quickly eat, but it was mostly mud.
...Eventually the hole was deep enough and Farmer put a nice new post in it and filled back in the dirt and mud. He took out a hammer and the stinging wire and wrapped the wire around the new post and attached it to the other poles. When he was done, he stepped back to admire his repair work.
...Gray Goat said 'Nayyyy'. Farmer looked at Goat and laughed. Goat looked back from the other side of the fence. Farmer told Goat to stay there, then he drove away in his truck.
...Goat watched Farmer leave then set about looking for a new Big Tree. If this was going to be his new field, he would need a new Big Tree to sit under when he was tired or when the sun was too hot. Cow just watched and chewed new green grass and wished she could go with Goat and eat the little yellow flowers that grew in Goat's new field.
...Goat ate some of the little flowers and looked for a new place to sit. First he found a big, low tree. But its branches were sparse and didn't keep out the sun good.
...Next he settled in the shade of a big rock. It was nice and cool and comfortable. But wouldn't provide shelter from the rain.
...He found a nice fluffy bush, but he couldn't get under it.
...Goat looked back at the Cow and his old field and wanted to go home to Big Tree. The new little yellow flowers were nice, but not as nice as his Tree. He settled into the field of little yellow flowers and tried to like his new field.
...Just then Farmer walked up on the new side of the fence. He found Goat looking sad in the field of yellow flowers. Farmer patted Goat's head right between his short, stubby horns, just like Goat liked.
..."Come on, lets go home." Farmer said. He wrapped a loose rope around Goat's neck and led him along the fence.
...Cow watched them amble away and took another bite of fresh green grass.