Ossetian fairy tales in English - страница 7



Only around noon did the poor man let all seven goats go to graze.

One day, when they were grazing, the one-bellied goat said to the two-bellied one:

– “I've had enough, my belly is full. If you are full, let's go home.”

And the one-bellied goat replied:

– “My belly is still empty, wait for me.”

– “No, I'm going home”, – said the one-bellied goat. She was walking along the road, and a wolf meets her.

– “Whose are you?” – he asked.

– “I'm the goat of Gazza”, – she replied.

– “And what is that on your head and what is it for?” – The wolf points to her horns.

– “These are the tips for Gazza's pitchfork, in case he needs them.”

– “And what's that dangling between your legs? The wolf points to her udders.”

And that's a soft udder full of milk for my baby goat.

The wolf grabbed the goat and ate it. Then he went further along the road, stretched out there and watched, looking around.

The two-bellied goat has filled both its bellies, is satiated and turns to the three-bellied goat:

– “Let's go home!”

– “Wait a little”, – answered the one. “My belly is still empty.”

– “I will not wait for you”, – replied the two-bellied goat. “I'm going home.”

She went along the road and came across a wolf who was guarding the place.

– “Whose goat are you?” – asked the wolf.

– “I'm Gazza's goat”, – she replied.

– “What's that on your head?”

– “Gazza's pitchfork tips.”

– “And what's that dangling between your legs?”

– “It's a soft udder full of milk for my goat.”

– “I must eat her too!” – rejoiced the wolf. He jumped up to the goat, grabbed it and ate it.

Meanwhile, the three-bellied goat has had enough and said to the four-bellied one:

– “Let's go home!”

– “Wait a little”, – replied the three-bellied goat. “My belly is not quite full yet.”

– “Well, then stay in good health”, – said the three-bellied goat. “And I'm leaving.”

She went leisurely along the road. The wolf, already satiated, lay there and listened in order to catch anyone else who would show up. He raised his head and saw a goat walking along the road.

– “There is another goat”, – said the wolf to himself. “Today was a good day with God's help.”

The three-bellied goat came closer, and the wolf asked her:

– “Whose goat are you?”

– “I'm Gazza's goat”, – she replied.

– “And what is that on your head?” – he asked her.

– “And these are the tips for Gazza's pitchforks,” she answered just like the other goats.

– “And what is that dangling between your legs?”

– “And this is for my baby goat with a soft udder full of milk.”

The wolf seized the goat, and he pulled it up and said to himself:

– “I'm lucky today! And this goat tastes good.”

The three goats made the wolf completely bloated. Then he began to roll on the ground, and he felt better.

Meanwhile, the four-bellied goat has had enough and turns to the five-bellied goat:

– “Let's go home, five-bellied goat, our friends are probably resting at home.”

The five-bellied goat replied:

– “My one belly is not yet full, wait for me, and then we'll go home together.”

– “No, I'm going away”, – replied the four-bellied goat.

She went down the road, and the well-fed wolf was sleeping there. When he heard the footsteps, he woke up and raised his head, saw the goat and rejoiced.

– “God has given me a goat again”, – he said to himself. “She came to me by herself!”

– “Whose goat are you?” – asked the wolf.

– “I'm Gazza's goat.”