A Short Story by Elaine Ambrose
Granny Margarita was a jolly woman who lived in the country on a small farm. One day she decided to go to the store and buy a nanny for granny. She brought the goat home and fixed a cozy pen and scattered fresh straw for a bed. She filled a water trough and offered the goat some fresh apples.
“Baaa!” exclaimed the goat and turned her back on Granny.
Granny fixed her favorite pecan pie using her secret recipe that won a blue ribbon at the County Fair. She brought the pie on a fancy plate and gave it to the goat.
“Baaa!” exclaimed the goat and turned her back on Granny.
Granny thought the goat was bored, so she bought some roller skates and taught the goat how to skate. The goat skated for a few minutes, fell down, and then didn’t like the skates.
“Baaa!” said the goat and turned her back on Granny.
Granny wondered if the cozy pen wasn’t good enough, so she built a bigger pen and added a pond so the goat could jump in the water.
“Baaa!” said the goat and turned her back on Granny.
Granny decided she had an ungrateful goat. She took the goat to obedience school to learn how to become self-sufficient and appreciate life. The goat finished the school but preferred to sit beneath the shade of the apple tree.
Finally, Granny Margarita accepted the fact that her goat was too grumpy and was robbing her of joy. She packed her bags and moved to a community of other seasoned folks who loved to laugh, dance, and enjoy whatever songs were left to be sung.
The Ungrateful Goat sat in her pen and waited for someone to take care of her. No one came. After a few days, the goat walked into the pasture and ate grass and found a stream so she could drink water. She found a dried old apple and eagerly gobbled the wrinkled fruit. The goat was lonely but grateful.
(Illustrations are from the children’s book Gators & Taters.– Winner of 2018 “Distinguished Favorite” for Children’s Literature from the Independent Press Awards.)
