The Boy and the Goat

Charlie lives on a farm with a big red barn and a field of yellow flowers, and his closest friend is Biscuit, a cream-white goat with tan patches and a green collar that jingles when she jumps. Biscuit enjoys apples, butterflies and being scratched under the chin, but she is also curious and mischievous. The old wooden fence around her pen has a loose board just wide enough for a goat to squeeze through, and Charlie has never given it much thought.

When Biscuit slips out and wanders toward the vegetable garden, then the neighbor's flower bed the next day, Charlie starts to worry that she could get lost or hurt. A talk with his grandpa on the porch changes how he sees the problem: a pet is a friend, and a friend needs care. Charlie inspects the loose board, realizes Biscuit is not naughty but bored and curious, and decides to act. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.