As the day was drawing to a close,
The late afternoon was turning cold.
A goatherd summoned all his goats together
In order to return them to the fold.

Suddenly, one goat chose to stray
And didn't want to join up with the rest.
The goatherd knew that if they didn't hurry,
They would not get home till dusk at best.

He shouted, but the goat ignored his orders.
Furious, he threw a heavy stone
And hit the goat, breaking one of its horns.
The goatherd then let out a fearful moan.

"Oh, no! I'm in trouble now!" he cried.
"For me, this is going to mean disaster."
Distraught, he begged the poor goat not to say
A word about his actions to their master.

"Don't be stupid," said the rebellious goat.
"My broken horn would stand out in the herd
As if to cry out, 'Hey there, look at me!'
Even if I didn't say a word.

"So here is some advice for you, my friend:
Hiding certain things is not forbidden,
But you will come off looking like a fool
If you try to hide what can't be hidden."

-by Bob B (8-13-21)

°An Aesop fable, "The Goatherd and the Goat," retold here in verse