The Bramble Goat

Once upon a time there lived an old man, and the old man had a goat. A fine goat she was, with snowy white sides, but oh, what a fibber!

One day the old man took the goat to the meadow. All day long the goat grazed: a bit of grass, munch; a bit of clover, munch; some leaves off a bush, munch-munch! She ate so much that her sides grew round as a barrel.

In the evening the old man asked:

"Well, my little goat, have you had enough to eat?"

And the goat bleated:

"Maa-a-a! I haven’t eaten a thing! I just ran over the bridge so small, and nibbled one leaf, and that was all!"

The old man threw up his hands:

"Oh, you little fibber! I watched you chewing all day long!"

The old man gave her a good scolding. But the goat took offence, stamped her hoof, and ran off into the forest.

She ran and ran through the forest, until she saw a little house. A tiny one, with a little window and a little chimney. It was the hare’s house. The hare had just popped out to fetch some cabbage, and he’d left the door wide open. The goat went hop! right into the house, made herself comfortable on the bench, and there she sat.

The hare came running home:

"Who’s that, who’s that in my little house?"

And the goat began to stamp:

"I’m the Bramble Goat, with horns so keen! One stamp of my hoof, one toss of my horns, and over the hills you’ll fly, never to be seen!"

The hare was so frightened that he sat down under a bush and began to cry.

Along came the wolf:

"Why are you crying, little hare?"

"The Bramble Goat has moved into my house!"

"Come on, I’ll chase her out!"

The wolf went up to the house and growled:

"Who’s that in the hare’s little house?"

"I’m the Bramble Goat, with horns so keen! One stamp of my hoof, one toss of my horns, and over the hills you’ll fly, never to be seen!"

The wolf tucked his tail between his legs and dashed into the bushes.

Stomp, stomp, here came the bear, lumbering along:

"Why are you crying, little hare?"

"The Bramble Goat has moved into my house!"

"Come on, I’ll chase her out!"

The bear went up to the house and roared:

"Who’s that in the hare’s little house?"

"I’m the Bramble Goat, with horns so keen! One stamp of my hoof, one toss of my horns, and over the hills you’ll fly, never to be seen!"

The bear sat down on the ground with a thump!, and then off he ran as fast as he could.

Then came the ox, big and horned:

"Moo-oo! I’ll chase her out!"

"I’m the Bramble Goat, with horns so keen! One stamp of my hoof, one toss of my horns, and over the hills you’ll fly, never to be seen!"

The ox just flicked his tail and wandered away.

The hare sat there, crying. But then, rustle-rustle through the grass, along crawled a little crayfish.

"Why are you crying, little hare?"

"The Bramble Goat has moved into my house! The wolf couldn’t chase her out, and neither could the bear, or even the ox."

"Then I’ll chase her out!"

"You? But you’re so small!"

The crayfish just clicked his claws: click-click.

The crayfish crept into the house, quiet as could be, right under the bench.

"Who’s that in the hare’s little house?"

"I’m the Bramble Goat, with horns so keen! One stamp of my hoof, one toss of my horns, and over the hills you’ll fly, never to be seen!"

"And I’m the crayfish, small and sly! One pinch from me, and you’ll know why!"

And he gave the goat a pinch! right on her side!

"Maa-a-a! Ow-ow-ow!" squealed the goat. She leapt out of the house and raced off through the forest so fast that all you could see was a cloud of dust.

The hare went back into his own little house. He thanked the crayfish and treated him to a fresh cabbage leaf. And the little crayfish crawled off home to his quiet river.

The hare shut the door, spread out some soft hay, curled up into a ball, tucked his little nose under his paw, and fell fast asleep.