The Goatherd and the Wild Goats – Aesop’s Fables

Aesop’s Fables has a large number of stories and some of them such as the Red riding hood, the honest woodcutter and many more are well known across the world. The story of the “The Goatherd and the Wild Goats” also has other names and is called as “The Shepherd and the Wild Goats“. It is the story of a goatherd or a shepherd

Story:

Once upon a time, there was a Shepherd who had a few goats. He used to take his goats into the forest to graze.

One day, it suddenly began to rain. The Shepherd took his goats inside a cave. Some wild goats were already inside the cave.

The Shepherd thought, “There are so many wild goats here. If I feed them good food, they may join my flock.”

The Shepherd gave most of his food to the wild goats. He did not give his goats any food to eat. His goats were very hungry. The wild goats were very full and happy.

When the storm cleared, he led his goats outside to graze. The wild goats turned to leave into the forest. The shepherd got very angry.

The Shepherd said to the goats, “I gave you all the food. My goats were hungry. Is this how you thank me? Why don’t you join my flock?”

The goats said to the shepherd, “Do not think that we will join your flock. Today, you starved your own goats to make friends with strangers. Tomorrow you will starve us to make new friends. We cannot join someone who does not value his old friends.”

What is the moral of the story?

The moral of the story “The Goatherd and the Wild Goats” is “It is unwise to treat old friends badly for the sake of new ones.” The alternative moral is “Do not join sides with one who betrays his friends for you”

Other stories which you can read

Questions on “The Goatherd and the Wild Goats“

1. Who are the main characters of the story?
2. Why did the goatherd and the wild goats go into the cave?
3. Did the goatherd have enough food for his goats and the wild goats?
4. What happened to the wild goats at the end of the story?
5. What is the moral of the story?

Answers:

1. The main characters of the story are a Goatherd and some Wild Goats
2. He felt bad that the sand was dirty and that that the sand was making him dirty. Not only that, he also felt bad that the sand used to get inside his shell and irritate him. He used to always feel bad.
3. The crab went out to the forest. The forest floor was filled with dead leaves. The crab said, “I cannot live here. The forest is too dirty. I want a clean house to live in.”
4. The crab went out to the desert. The desert was filled with more sand. The crab said, “I cannot live here. The desert is too dirty. I want a clean house to live in.”
5. The crab went to the meadow which was very green and clean and he was very happy. Suddenly a fox came and the crab could not hide since there was no sea. The crab could not hide since there were no trees or sand. The fox easily caught and ate the crab.
6. The moral of the story “The Goatherd and the Wild Goats” is “Be content with your lot.” The alternative moral is “The grass always looks greener on the other side”

The Goatherd and the Wild Goats – PDF

Looking for the free downloadable PDF version of “The Goatherd and the Wild Goats” short story in English? If so, you’ve come to the right place. You can click on the link below to download the free story in PDF version format.