The Two Goats
Once, there were two goats who thrived on competition. The smaller of the two would challenge his brother – saying, “Let’s invent a contest, to see who’s truly the best!” To which his brother would reply, “Then I’ll beat you fair and square – because I don’t know how to lose.”
First, the little goat proposed a race. “We’ll run from here to the stream,” he said, “and whoever gets there first, wins!”
So the two goats lined up side-by-side; and, with a croak, a frog signaled for the race to start. The little goat ran as fast as he could – but his brother was larger, and stronger, and he pushed aside anything in his way. When the little goat arrived at the stream, his brother was already there.
“Sorry, brother,” said the big goat, smiling, “but I don’t know how to run slow – only fast. I win, fair and square.”
So the little goat (once he had caught his breath) proposed a new contest. “You go to one end of the forest,” he instructed, “and I’ll go to the other. And you can stand where all the sparrows gather, and I’ll stand where the wrens go. And when the sun is highest in the sky, first I will shout my name; then you shout yours. Whoever’s voice is loudest – whoever causes the most birds to take flight – wins!”
Thus, the two goats retreated to opposite ends of the forest; and when the sun was highest in the sky, the little goat called out his name: he yelled and he hollered, but he couldn’t distress the wrens. Just then, his brother called out his name – and every sparrow in the forest erupted in flight, so startled were they by the sound of it.
And from very far away, the little goat could hear the big goat say, “Sorry, brother, but I don’t know how to talk quiet – only loud. I win, fair and square.”
When they met again, in the middle of the forest, and the sun had moved to the other side of the sky, the little goat proposed a new contest. “Let’s see who can climb highest up the mountain,” he said. “Whoever climbs highest, and looks down on the other, wins!”
So they began to climb. They climbed and they climbed, side-by-side, until they passed the tops of the trees. From there, the little goat could look down over the whole forest; and, realizing how high up the mountain they were, he became afraid. “Brother,” he said, “we’re already higher than the tallest tree – perhaps we should climb down, now?”
But the big goat replied, “I don’t know how to climb down – only up.” So they continued to climb.
They climbed and they climbed, side-by-side, until they could hear the eagles calling out to each other. From there, the little goat could see past the forest, to the sea; and, realizing how high up the mountain they were, he became afraid.
“Brother,” he said, “we’re already higher than the eagles! Perhaps we should climb down, now?”
But the big goat replied, “I don’t know how to climb down – only up.” So they continued to climb.
They climbed and they climbed, side-by-side, until finally they reached the clouds. From there, the little goat could see over the whole world: he saw the entire forest, and all the animals in the forest; and he saw across the sea, and all the fishes in the sea; and he saw from one side of the sky to the other, and all the birds in the sky; and, realizing how high up the mountain they were – that he could now look and see absolutely everything – he knew it was time to climb down.
“Brother,” he said, “we have reached the clouds. It is time for us to climb down, now.”
But the big goat replied, “I don’t know how to climb down – only up.”
So he climbed a little higher …
… and a little higher …
… and the big goat climbed through the clouds; and no one ever saw him again.
