Animal Dilemmas – Blue Bird Goats
Short Story
The Goats were happy to leave the the Donkey behind. They put a great effort to stay upbeat, even though their beards were not as thick as they used to be a few years ago. And the Donkey was rather too lethargic for their company. They were breaking the rules. Leaving the farm where food was handed to their mouths and protection from beasts was granted by thick walls. They were leaving this nice, breezy, safe place.
They were walking into the deep forest, all the way where the last path faded and further, nine hills over, further into the unmapped wilderness where the greenest grass grew. They walked and talked to make the time to their destination pass faster.
‘Do you think there are more trees in this forest than animals?’ asked the Dark Goat.
‘Are we counting birds?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are we counting snails?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are we counting mosquitoes?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Then I don’t know about the trees?’
‘Say we are not counting mosquitoes.’
‘Then I still don’t know.’
‘I think mosquitoes or no mosquitoes, there are more animals than trees.’
‘Maybe. How about if you count bushes?’
‘Do you mean bushes and trees together or only bushes against animals?’
‘I mean bushes and trees together against animals.’
‘Then there is definitely more plants than animals.’
‘I think so, too.’
They reached a place where the path was branching into two, one slightly to left and one slightly to the right.
‘I think we should go left,’ said the Dark Goat.
‘I think we should go right,’ said the Light Goat.
‘I will never go right; it smells like wolves on the right path.’
‘Your nose smells like wolves. The left path leads to the upper fields — we have been there with the herd.’
‘Is the the field where I ate those red flowers and thought I can fly after that?’
‘That is exactly the field.’
‘No wonder I don’t remember. Let’s go right.’
The Goats took the right path until it ended five hills over at the beginning of a spring. Many trees were cut down around there into a clearing with all the stumps still in the ground. The Goats tasted the grass but it tasted burnt from the sun and dry.
‘Now to where?’
As they wondered and munched on burned grass something stood out on the far end of the clearing, something blue. They walked there to find a Blue Bird bathing in the sunlight.
‘Good late afternoon, Bird,’ said the Light Goat.
‘It is a good afternoon Goats. Are you looking for the fabled garden with the greenest grass?’
‘We are,’ said the Goats.
‘Follow me then,’ said the Blue Bird. ‘But I have to warn you — the road is long, tough and full of many dangers.’
‘Which way?’ said the Dark Goat.
The Bird flew ahead and they followed it through the forest. There was no path, only tall grass and bushes on the green forest floor. Fallen branches and trees were in their way; they had to go around them and catch up with the Bird. It was getting dark and the forest thick and the only thing they could still see was the glowing Blue Bird. They were falling farther and farther behind until the bird stopped and they caught up with it and exited the thick vegetation.
They made it. They could smell the grass. It was like no other grass. The Blue Bird flew in circles over this patch of paradise while the two Goats grazed at the greenest virgin grass. The moonlight intoxicated them. The Goats experienced the happiest hour of their lives. When they could eat no more they lifted their heads from the greenest grass. The moon was clouded.
It was pitch black, the Blue Bird was gone, and they could hear the wolves.
next chapter: ANIMAL DILEMMAS – BULL BLUE BIRD
previous chapter: ANIMAL DILEMMAS – GOATS DONKEY
all stories: Animal Dilemmas
photograph by fPat Murray
