The Lost Goat
We had eaten supper. All the chores had been done. All of us were relaxing in the front room watching the television and enjoying the warmth from the fireplace. It was a peaceful evening, and we were all in our pajamas. A quiet scene came on the television and we could hear one of the goats bleating.
I looked at the boys and all three of them were looking at me. I looked over at Tammy as I heard the goat bleat again.
Tammy gasped, “Something is wrong!”
We all jumped up at the same time, got dressed, and headed for the back door. We gathered inside the goat barn. Pepper was the only goat not inside the safety of the barn. She was facing out into the darkness, bleating over and over. Within a few minutes we confirmed that the only goat missing was hers.
We tried to get her to walk down into the pasture with us, but she refused. It was her instinct to stay with the flock, where it was safe.
Her mother instinct was to call out for her young, but her self-preservation instinct was to stay put.
We knew that if we left any kids out in the pasture that they would be dead in the morning. So, we loaded Pepper into the back of the pickup and headed down into the pasture. After driving for about a hundred yards, I stopped the truck and shut it off.
We sat there and let Pepper bleat. Then we would listen. There was silence until Pepper would bleat again. After a few minutes, I started the truck and pulled on down into the pasture another hundred yards and repeated the process.
After spending the better part of an hour, we were about as far from the barn as you could be. I shut off the vehicle again and waited. Pepper bleated and almost immediately we heard the kid bleating back at her.
The boys jumped out of the back of the truck with their flashlights and headed towards the bleating kid. After a couple more exchanges of mother-kid bleating, the boys found the kid. She was curled up for the night all by herself.
The reunion was one that I will never forget. We had returned to the barn in minutes and unloaded the two. I smiled as the kid was feeding and Pepper was licking at her little one. I smiled as I looked at Tammy.
Tammy was crying, “She is crying.”
I looked back at Pepper and she was crying! That was firsthand proof that animals do have emotions and can cry.
Do not ever let someone tell you that animals don’t have emotions. Pepper certainly loved her little one and was crying tears of joy, that her baby was back with her. We had many mothers cry for days after we sold their “children” to customers.
This little true story reminds me of a similar story in the Bible.
Matthew 18:12 NIV "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?
This story can be found in my latest book, “Lil Light’s Lessons” Click on the link if you would like to purchase a book.
Have a blessed day.
Comments
This is one of my favorite stories from our life on the farm. It does remind me of how much our Savior loves us.
Amen