Mountain Goat
“Hi Spot!” exclaimed Fawn, just getting up out of bed.
“Good morning Fawn,” said Spot. “How are you this morning?”
“Great!” exclaimed Fawn, looking out the window at the morning sun just rising over the mountain top.
“It sure is beautiful here,” said Spot.
“Absolutely,” said Fawn. “I’m so glad we now live in British Columbia.”
“Yes,” said Spot. “Me too!”
“So,” said Fawn. “Let’s take advantage of this beautiful spring day and go for a walk.”
“Sure,” said Spot. “I’d love to.”
Fawn and Spot got ready to take a nice long walk. Spot packed a picnic lunch too.
“Let’s go!” exclaimed Fawn.
Fawn and Spot walked out of the barn and the site before them was just breathtaking. They had a mountain right about a mile from the barn. Just in front of the mountain was a creek that was so crystal blue in colour that it looked almost like ice.
“Let’s walk over to the mountain today,” said Spot.
“Okay,” said Fawn. “We could have our picnic lunch there.”
“Yes,” said Spot. “That would be great.”
It took Fawn and Spot about an hour to walk over to the creek. They found a nice flat spot to lay down their picnic blanket and Spot started to hand out the food.
“Hey,” said Fawn, pointing half-way up the mountain. “What is that?”
Spot looked to where Fawn was pointing and she saw a fluffy pure white animal with great big horns on the top of his head.
“Why he is absolutely beautiful!” exclaimed Fawn.
“He’s a mountain goat,” said Spot, her breath taken away from the sight of the mountain goat.
“Wow!” exclaimed Fawn. “He’s awesome!”
Fawn and Spot sat for a good hour just watching the mountain goat playing around on the mountain. They were fascinated at how agile such a big creature was on the rocks. He never once lost his footing under the mounds of rock underneath is feet.
“That is the first mountain goat I have ever seen,” said Fawn.
“Me too!” exclaimed Spot.
The mountain goat continued playing in the mountain while Fawn and Spot ate their picnic lunch. When they were finished their lunch, surprisingly the mountain goat came down to where they were sitting.
“Hi!” exclaimed Fawn. “I’m Fawn and this is Spot. We just moved here from Ontario a few months ago.”
“Hello,” said the mountain goat. “My name is Willie. It is nice to meet you.”
“You are such a fascinating creature,” said Spot. “I hope you don’t mind that we were watching you play on that mountain.”
“Oh not at all,” said Willie.
“So how come you stay in the mountains and not eat the grass down here by the river where it is easier to get at?” asked Fawn.
“Well,” said Willie. “If we were to come down by the river and eat all this grass, I’m afraid we’d find ourselves in trouble with our predators. It would be too easy for them to find us.”
“Gee,” said Fawn. “I guess that is true. That is something that Spot and I don’t have to worry about because we sleep in a nice cozy barn at night.”
“Yes,” said Willie. “That would be nice for sure but I like it out here in the wilderness.”
“I guess,” said Spot. “And you must have a magnificent view from where you are.”
“You want to see it,” said Willie. “I know of a way of getting up into the mountain that is pretty easy. You’d be able to make it, no problem.”
“What do you say?” asked Fawn. “I’d love to.”
“Okay,” said Spot. “That sounds like fun.”
Willie led Fawn and Spot up into the mountain. He took them on a well beaten trail and it was pretty easy for them to climb, although, there were a couple of hair-raising moments when some mountain rock slipped underneath their footing.
“Now I can see how mudslides and avalanches start,” said Fawn, watching the rock roll down the mountain side.
“Yes,” said Willie. “That is one thing you always have to be careful of.”
“I see,” said Spot.
Fawn and Spot were amazed when they reached the top of the mountain with Willie.
“This is absolutely breath-taking,” said Spot.
“Absolutely,” said Fawn. “You can see for miles and miles.”
“Hey,” said Spot, pointing to a bright red object in the distance. “That is our barn!”
“Oh my!” exclaimed Fawn. “It looks like an ant.”
Fawn and Spot absolutely enjoyed their time with Willie and their first mountain climb but it was starting to get dark and they knew their owners would be soon looking for them so they had to get home.
“Come again,” said Willie.
“Oh,” said Fawn. “We will, we will for sure!”
Moral of this Story:
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