Once, a boy visiting the countryside for the first time pointed at a goat and said to his mum, 'Mum, what strange little cows!' How can you introduce children to farm animals without leaving your flat? With the help of our new short fairy tale. For a few minutes it will transport your little one to the farm and tell them how goats live and what they think about as they wander around the yard.
Young white goat Nyuska came out into the yard with her large herd and saw snow for the very first time.
It covered all the earth in the yard, lay on the roof of the big long barn, wrapped the trees in a white coat, and painted the tall wire fence a silvery colour.
Looking at this glittering beauty with enormous eyes, Nyuska licked the trough with her pink tongue.
What are you doing? — asked the oldest goat Stesha.
I thought it was new hay, or perhaps animal feed. Maybe our guard dog Barbos scattered such beautiful food during the night, — answered the young goat.
Baa-aa-aa! Baa-aa-aa! ― the herd laughed together.
You were born in spring, — Nyuska's mum, the goat Masha, began to explain, — when the snow had already melted and the earth had shed its white blanket. The sun shone brightly and warmed everything around. Green leaves began to grow on the trees, and tender grass appeared in the meadow. The grass grows, and the farmer cuts it with a scythe, dries it, and then stacks it in a haystack to feed us during winter.
In summer, vegetables grow in the garden: beetroot, carrots, swede, potatoes, pumpkin. Warm rain and sunshine help them ripen, — Masha continued, — and then autumn arrives. The rain becomes sharp, an angry wind appears, leaves on the trees turn yellow, and the grass wilts from the cold. We sleep in the warm barn so we don't catch a cold. And then winter comes — snow covers the earth and trees, just as it has today. And frost arrives.
But who is frost? — Nyuska asked naively.
It's a mean old bloke who pinches your nose and ears. He brings an icy blizzard with him. Then the farmer doesn't let us out, and we spend the whole day in the barn, chewing hay and bleating because we want to go outside, even though we know it's cold out there, — her mum explained.
In the cold, we're given animal feed and juicy vegetables — finely chopped. Today there's no hard frost or blizzard, so the farmer let us out into the pen — to get some fresh air, have a skip about and play, — added the oldest goat Stesha. And then she bleated, — can you hear? The farmer is bringing us food!
Is the dog Barbos barking at someone? ― the herd got worried.
Look, a stranger farmer has come with our farmer, — Masha sang softly, shielding Nyuska, — ours must be selling someone to her. They're choosing now...
Should we hide? Let's go in the barn, — suggested Nyuska.
It's too late, they've seen us all. They only take the young ones. The adults are needed. We give milk, which children love. It's very nutritious. We have lots of wool. They knit warm mittens and socks, hats and scarves from it. You young ones still need to be raised and taught everything, — answered Stesha.
I hope they don't take me! I don't want to be separated from my mum, — squeaked the young goat. From worry she trembled and stopped chewing her carrot.
Nyuska watched as the stranger farmer took the young cheeky goat Valka by the ears and led her to the gate.
How lucky I am! The other farmer didn't choose me! I'm staying home! — thought Nyuska, happily munching on a piece of juicy pumpkin.
