Nibbly-Quibbly The Goat

Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman with their granddaughter Masha.  They didn’t have a cow or a pig – no other cattle, but a single goat, a black-eyed, crooked-legged, pointy horns goat.  An old man loved this goat. 

One day an old man sent an old woman to shepherd the goat.  An old woman was watching after the goat while the goat was feeding and running.  At the dusk an old woman took the goat back home.  An old man met them at the gate and he asked the goat,

-          My dear black-eyed goat, my crooked-legged goat, my pointy horns goat, what did you eat?  What did you drink?

-          I didn’t eat.  I didn’t drink.  An old woman didn’t take me out.  She didn’t shepherd me.  As I was crossing the bridge in a hurry, I was lucky enough to snip a maple leaf.  That’s all I was able to have today, - replied the goat.

The old man got very angry at the old woman.  He screamed and he yelled and he sent their granddaughter to shepherd the goat. 

The granddaughter was watching after the goat while the goat was feeding and running.  At the dusk the granddaughter took the goat back home.  An old man met them at the gate and he asked the goat,

-          My dear black-eyed goat, my crooked-legged goat, my pointy horns goat, what did you eat?  What did you drink?

-          I didn’t eat.  I didn’t drink.  Your granddaughter didn’t take me out.  She didn’t shepherd me.  As I was crossing the bridge in a hurry, I was lucky enough to snip a maple leaf.  That’s all I was able to have today, - replied the goat.

The old man got very angry at his granddaughter. He screamed and he yelled, then decided to shepherd the goat himself.  So, he watched after the goat while the goat was feeding and running.  As they went back home, the old man ran faster and sat on the bench by the gate before the goat could make it there.  When the goat came to the gate the old man asked,

-          My dear black-eyed goat, my crooked-legged goat, my pointy horns goat, how well did you eat?  How well did you drink?

-          I didn’t eat.  I didn’t drink.  As I was crossing the bridge in a hurry, I was lucky enough to snip a maple leaf.  That’s all I was able to have today, - replied the goat.

Oh, how the old man got mad at the liar.  He grabbed his belt and started whipping the goat.  The goat took off for the forest.

In the forest the goat stumbled upon a little hare’s cottage.  She got inside and locked the door, while the hare was picking some cabbage at the garden.  The hare came home to find his door locked.  He knocked on the door and asked,

-          Who is that uninvited guest that locked my cottage and is not letting me back in?

-          It’s a Nibbly-Quibbly black-eyed, crooked-legged, pointy horns goat! – answered the goat in a scary voice. – I will stomp on you, and I will gore you, and I will sweep your remaining with my tail!

The hare ran away in a terror, hid under the bush and started crying, wiping tears off with his paw.

Wolf the Torn Rib was passing by.  He saw the hare under the bush and asked him,

-          What are you crying about, old buddy hare?  What are you wasting your tears for?

-          How can I not be crying?  How can I not be full of sorrow?  I built myself a nice cottage in the woods, but I can’t live in it because of Nibbly-Quibbly Goat, who locked me out and keeps me out.

-          Don’t worry, buddy hare, I will kick her out.

So, the Wolf the Torn Rib went to the cottage and yelled at the goat,

-          Hey goat, get off the hare’s bed, get out of the cottage!

The goat yelled even louder in reply,

-          I will jump out, I will attack you, I will stomp on you, I will rip you apart – the pieces will fly through the air!

The wolf got scared and ran away.

The hare hid under the bush and started crying, wiping tears off with his paw.

Along came Bear the Heavy Foot.  He saw the hare and wondered,

-          What are you crying about, old buddy hare?  What are you wasting your tears for?

-          How can I not be crying?  How can I not be full of sorrow?  I built myself a nice cottage in the woods, but I can’t live in it because of Nibbly-Quibbly Goat, who locked me out and keeps me out.

-          Don’t worry, buddy hare, I will kick her out.

So, the Bear the Heavy Foot went to the cottage and roared at the goat,

-          Hey goat, get off the hare’s bed, get out of the cottage!

The goat said in a scary voice,

-          I will jump out, I will attack you, I will stomp on you, I will rip you apart – the pieces will fly through the air!

-           

The bear got scared and ran away.

The hare hid under the bush and started crying, wiping tears off with his paw.

Along came the Rooster The Red Comb.  He saw the hare and wondered,

-          What are you crying about, old buddy hare?  What are you wasting your tears for?

-          How can I not be crying?  How can I not be full of sorrow?  I built myself a nice cottage in the woods, but I can’t live in it because of Nibbly-Quibbly Goat, who locked me out and keeps me out.

-          Don’t worry, buddy hare, I will kick her out.

-          How would you do that? – asked the hare doubtfully. – I asked her to leave, she wouldn’t.  The wolf asked her to leave, she didn’t.  The bear ordered her to leave, she stayed.  You wouldn’t be able to kick her out, Peter!

-          Let’s see, - said the rooster.

So, the Rooster The Red Comb went to the cottage and cried with all his might,

-          I’m coming from the hills, I’m running pretty fast.  I’m carrying a weed-wacker to take off your head!  Cock-a-doodle-do!

The fox got scared.  She fell of the couch.  She stumbled through the house.  She took off running out of the cottage and to the forest.

The hare thanked the rooster and returned to his cottage.  He still lives there, chewing on his carrot and waiving you “hello”.

THE END