the kid and the wolf

Once there was a billy goat kid who lived with his mother on a farm. Each morning he and the other goats were herded into a meadow. And each evening they were driven home again.At the edge of the field was a wood. The grass grew thick and sweet there because the goats never went near it. The kid looked at it longingly. ‘Don’t go there,’ the other goats warned him. ‘A big bad wolf lives in that wood.’ ‘Yes, mind you stay close by me,’ said his mother.At first the kid did stay close by his mother. But with each day that passed his horns grew bigger.  ‘I am not a little kid any more,’ he thought. ‘I can look after myself.Anyway, I don’t believe a wolf lives in that wood. The goats are just a bunch of scaredy-cats!’ He trotted over to where the juiciest grass grew. The goats shook their heads when they saw where the kid was. ‘Baaa. Silly young thing,’ they said. ‘Well, we did warn him.’The little kid was very happy. He tore up the long stalks of sweet grass. He was so busy eating that he didn’t hear his mother call him.He didn’t even notice the dogs rounding up the goats to drive them home. ‘Oh, I do hope my little goat is safe,’ his mother said as they were herded out of the field.At last the kid had had enough. He lifted up his head. The goats had gone. He was all alone.Long shadows crept towards him. It was growing dark. The kid did not feel so big and brave any more. ‘Mother,’ he bleated, running up and down the field. ‘Where are you? I want to go home.’