The Rabbit and the Goat

In a wide green meadow, a small warm-brown rabbit wearing a leaf-green scarf meets a sturdy grey-white goat with a jingling brass bell, and the two set off together on a morning walk. The rabbit picks up the scent of apples and slips through a gap in a tall hedge, leading them to a forgotten orchard hidden behind brambles, fallen branches and long wild grass. The paths are so choked that neither of them can get through alone.

The rabbit tries first, hopping quickly and tugging at the light twigs, but the heavy branches will not move. The goat tries next, pushing with steady strength, yet weeds and small sticks keep blocking the way behind him. Each is good at something the other is not, and together they work out a plan, clearing small obstacles and heavy loads day by day. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book, where its calm scenes and clear imagery suit bedtime reading and early talks about cooperation.