The Lucky Goat and Ram is a folktale from Finland. In the story, a witty pair of a goat and a ram outwit the foxes and live happily in the forest Free activity sheet available at https://www.rituvaish.com/the-goat-and-the-ramSend your artwork to [email protected] fox easily got into trouble with the farm folks. With sore ribs and a back aching from the beating that farm folk had given him he crept quietly along the forest ways, hoping to come upon some easy prey. Suddenly he saw ahead of him a goat and a ram.With greedy eyes and mouth-watering, the fox thought, "Wow! I sure have my dinner served on the platter. But what are the goat and Ram doing here?" he thought to himself. "This is no place for them, and if anything happens to them it will be their own fault."The goat and the ram both knew that the forest was no place for them. But where else could they go? They had recently been turned loose to fend for themselves by their poor old master who was no longer able to feed them.Children, do you think the goat and the ram will be able to survive in the forest?Let’s listen ahead."This forest rather frightens me," the ram had said to the goat. "Do you suppose we'll be able to keep off the foxes?"With sparkling eyes, the goat said, "Yes, I've got a plan." So, saying he took a sack and half-filled it with dry chips of wood. Then when he shook the sack, the chips made a hollow rattle. He threw the sack over his shoulder and said to the ram, "Don't be frightened. We'll be able to survive with the forest creatures."Children, how will the sack with wooden chips help the goat and ram survive?It was just at this moment that the fox appeared."Ha Ha!" said the wolf suspiciously. "What's that you've got in that sack? No nonsense now! Answer me at once or I'll have to kill you both!"The goat gave the sack a little rattle. "In this sack?" he said."Oh, only the skulls and bones of the foxes we have eaten. We haven't had any wolf meat now for some time, have we? It's good you've come along for we're hungry… Get ready, ram! Kill the wolf!"The ram lowered his horns ready for attack and the wolf, too surprised to resist and too stiff to run away, cried out wildly, "Brothers! Brothers! Don't kill me! I'm your friend! Spare me and I'll do something for you!""Don't kill the wolf just yet!" commanded the goat.Then he asked the wolf, "What will you do for us if we spare you?""I'll send you twelve foxes," the wolf promised. "That will give you more meat than you would  have if you killed just me!""Twelve," the goat replied. "You are right: twelve foxes will give us more meat than one. Very well, we'll let you go on condition that you send us twelve. But see to it that you keep your word!"So, the wolf went off as fast as his stiff legs could carry him and gathered twelve of his brothers."I've called you together," he said, "To warn you of two terrible creatures. A goat and a ram! They are here in the forest, eating up foxes! Already they have a sack full of many foxes’ skulls and bones! I should say we ought to flee, all of us!""What!" said the other foxes, "Thirteen foxes flee from one goat and one ram? No, we'll go together and show them our power!""Don't count me in!" the wolf said. "I don't want to see those two again!"The twelve foxes marched off without him.As soon as the goat saw them coming, he ran up a tree. The ram followed him but couldn't get very high. The twelve foxes came under the tree and standing in a flock they called out, "Now then, you two, come on! We're ready for you!”Children, what do you think will happen in the story next?"Get ready, ram!" commanded the goat. "They're all here. Lose no more time! Jump down among them and kill!"The goat himself began climbing down the tree, at the same time making an awful noise with his sack. He gave the ram a push and the ram slipped and fell right on the backs of the foxes."That's right ram! Kill them all!" the goat shouted, rattling his sack more furiously than ever. "Don't let a single one of them escape!"In the confusion the foxes charged, running helter-skelter in all directions, and felt awfully lucky to get away. "Horrible, horrible!" each of them thought.Afterwards the goat and the ram lived in the forest without being troubled by the foxes anymore.

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