Grumpy Goat

Eugene: even his name sounded stuffy. When Susie, the barnyard manager called him, she whined his name over and over…

”Eugene, Eugene, Eugene…”.

Eugene ignored her, and stood under the tall trees letting the leaves tickle his back as they fell from the trees. The other goats ran around, or lay in the shade, but not Eugene.

Then, when he looked up at the leaves one more time, the very last leaf of the season fell onto his head.

“Oh no…I have to wait an entire year,” thought Eugene. “I am not a happy goat.”

Eugene walked around the barnyard, picking up leaves with his mouth and dropping them into a pile. Susie called his name again and again, and Eugene continued to ignore her. When his pile was complete, Eugene plopped down right in the middle of the pile of leaves. The dried out dead leaves scrunched underneath him, and broke into a thousand pieces.

Eugene bit his lip. No more leaves….

Susie walked up to Eugene.

“Why so grumpy, Goat?”

Eugene hung his head like Eore, and looked at the pieces of leaves.

“I’m sorry Eugene,” she said…”You’ll have to wait until next Fall for more leaves.”

“I know,” he said to himself, “I can practice being grumpy until then.”

And he did.