There
was once a little Kid whose growing horns made him think he was a grown-up
Billy Goat and able to take care of himself. So one evening when the flock
started home from the pasture and his mother called, the Kid paid no heed and
kept right on nibbling the tender grass. A little later when he lifted his
head, the flock was gone.
He
was all alone. The sun was sinking. Long shadows came creeping over the ground.
A chilly little wind came creeping with them making scary noises in the grass.
The Kid shivered as he thought of the terrible Wolf. Then he started wildly
over the field, bleating for his mother. But not half-way, near a clump of
trees, there was the Wolf!
The
Kid knew there was little hope for him.
"Please,
Mr. Wolf," he said trembling, "I know you are going to eat me. But
first please pipe me a tune, for I want to dance and be merry as long as I
can."
The
Wolf liked the idea of a little music before eating, so he struck up a merry
tune and the Kid leaped and frisked gaily.
Meanwhile,
the flock was moving slowly homeward. In the still evening air the Wolf's
piping carried far. The Shepherd Dogs pricked up their ears. They recognized
the song the Wolf sings before a feast, and in a moment they were racing back
to the pasture. The Wolf's song ended suddenly, and as he ran, with the Dogs at
his heels, he called himself a fool for turning piper to please a Kid, when he
should have stuck to his butcher's trade.
MORAL:
Do not let anything turn you from your purpose
-------------------------
From
ÆSOP FOR CHILDREN
To
be published as a paperback and ebook during the summer of 2012
A
percentage of the profits will be donated to Cecily’s Fund – educating Zambian
children orphaned by Aids.
