The Billy Goat and the Ram

There was once a man and a woman who had one billy goat and one ram. The billy goat and the ram were best of friends — wherever the billy goat went, the ram went as well. When the billy goat ventured into the garden to get some cabbage, the ram was directly behind him. When the billy goat went to gather apples in the orchard, the ram was right on his heels.

One day the man was complaining about the animals, saying to his wife: “Let’s chase-away the ram and the billy goat, for otherwise they will eat-up all our crops.” The woman nodded. And so the man walked straight over to the animals and said in a loud voice: “Get out of here — I don’t want to see you again!”

When they heard the man’s threat, they immediately ran out of the courtyard. Once they reached the meadow, they stitched together a knapsack out of scraps and then went out into the world.

They had walked and walked when suddenly they noticed something lying in the middle of the field. It looked like a wolf’s head. When they examined it more closely, they saw that it was just some kind of stone covered with moss. But at a glance it certainly looked like the head of a wolf.

The billy goat said to the ram: “Lift-up that stone, dear ram, because you are strong.”

But the ram quickly responded: “Oh no, you had better do it yourself, billy goat, because you are bold and daring. I am afraid of it.” At last, they decided to lift it together, and then they put it in the knapsack.

They had walked for ages again when suddenly they saw a bonfire in the distance.

“Let’s…