The Sly Goat – A Russian Folk Tale about a Clever Goat
The folk tale "The Sly Goat" tells the story of a headstrong goat who tricked everyone and drove them out of the house. An exciting story with a moral ending.
Description: This Russian folk tale is about a sly goat who tricked everyone and took over a house, driving out anyone who tried to stop her. But even the cleverest ones meet their match. The story teaches fairness and honesty. Read the full text of the tale!
Once upon a time, there lived a grandfather and grandmother. They bought a goat and took care of her. Every day, the grandmother took her out to graze, and in the evening, the grandfather would ask:
– Well, goat, did you eat grass? Did you drink water?
The goat would reply:
– I wasn’t in the meadow, I didn’t graze, I didn’t drink water!
The grandfather got angry with the grandmother and the granddaughter, thinking they weren’t taking good care of the goat. But when he took the goat out to graze himself, the goat lied again:
– I wasn’t in the meadow, I didn’t graze, I didn’t drink water!
The grandfather realized that the goat was lying to everyone and chased her away. The goat went into the forest, found an empty hut, and took it over. Anyone who tried to enter heard:
– I’m the sly goat! Half the house is not enough for me! I’ll stomp your leg, stab you with my horn!
The first to approach the hut was the hare. He saw the goat and said:
– Let me into the hut!
The goat screamed:
– I’m the sly goat! Half the house is not enough for me! I’ll stomp your leg, stab you with my horn!
The hare was scared and ran away.
Next came the wolf. He knocked on the door with his paw and shouted:
– Goat, leave, this is not your house!
But the goat replied:
– I’m the sly goat! Half the house is not enough for me! I’ll stomp your leg, stab you with my horn!
The wolf was frightened and ran away too.
Next came the bear. He knocked on the door with his paw and roared:
– Now I’m going to drive you out, sly goat!
But the goat screamed again:
– I’m the sly goat! Half the house is not enough for me! I’ll stomp your leg, stab you with my horn!
The bear wasn’t expecting such a response, got scared, and went away as well.
Finally, the rooster came to the hut. He was walking with a scythe over his shoulder and crowing loudly:
– Cock-a-doodle-doo! I’m the rooster with the golden comb! If you don’t leave, I’ll teach you a lesson with my scythe!
The goat got scared and ran out of the hut. The rooster chased her away, and the hare, wolf, and bear returned to the house. They all lived happily together, and the sly goat was never allowed into anyone’s house again.
Moral: This tale teaches us that cleverness and stubbornness do not go unpunished. Honesty and friendship always overcome tricksters.
Questions for children:
- Why did the grandfather chase the goat out of the house?
- Who tried to drive the goat out of the hut?
- What lesson does this story teach us?
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