Gray Goat and the Rainy Day

Gray Goat and the Rainy Day
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 morning Goat (he didn't have much of a name for himself) woke and it was raining in his field. Dark clouds rolled low in the sky. And little muddy rivers rambled across his grass.

...Cow had wandered out of Red Barn into the cold rain and was eating grass near the top of the field. She didn't like rain either, but she liked being hungry even less.

...Goat was hungry too. He carefully took a step out from under Big Tree. A big, cold, wet raindrop fell right on his nose and he ducked back under the leaves. He decided he would just wait right there till the rain stopped.

...So he sat.

...Cow ambled near Red Barn and ate more grass. She looked down to where Goat hid under Big Tree and gave him a soft 'moooo'.

...Goat was very hungry. And the rain was still coming down. Goat took another careful step out from under Big Tree and stepped right into a cold, muddy, little river. He shook the mud off his hoof and ducked back under the leaves. Mud was ok for the pigs, but Goat did not like being muddy. He decided he would wait a little longer until the rain stopped.

...So he sat.

...Cow decided she had eaten enough of the green grass near Red Barn, and she had plenty of the cold, wet rain. So she ambled back into Red Barn to eat some of the nice hay there and left Goat alone in the rain.

...Goat was now very, very hungry. And the rain was still coming down. Goat took a careful step out from under Big Tree. A big, cold, wet raindrop fell right onto his nose. He took another step and stepped right into a cold, muddy, little river. He took another step and a wet, wet leaf fell from Big Tree and landed right on his back. It sent a cold shiver up his back and he jumped in surprise.

...By the time he made it to Red Barn he was very, very cold and very, very wet and very, very hungry. His fur was full of mud and he was more brown than gray. Cow was slowly eating golden, dry hay and she watched Goat walk in from the cold, wet rain. Goat shook himself and sent little drops of cold water and little drops of wet mud flying all over Red Barn. Then he ate golden, dry hay next to cow until he wasn't hungry anymore.

...That night, Goat slept in Red Barn with Cow and Horse and the pigs and the chickens. Outside it was still raining and the cold, dark clouds still rolled over his field. Goat slept on a little mattress Farmer had put in Red Barn for him to sleep on and he dreamed of warm sunny days.

Writing GrayGoat