The Enchanted Goat's Leg

The Enchanted Goat’s Leg

I was walking through a stretch of bush land today and I saw a goat’s leg in my peripheral vision. I saw the hoof first; it was cloven (as they usually are) and it was bent at the knee joint and brown. I turned to examine the leg but, as I focused my vision squarely on it, the leg transformed into a branch. It was a very ordinary branch, although it bore a striking resemblance to a goat’s leg. The end nearest me was split, as if it were imitating a cloven hoof, and it was bent right at the place where, if it had been a goat’s leg, a knee would have existed.

Briefly, I considered that this leg could have, in fact, always been a branch, this thought I dismissed. It quickly became clear to me that at the place the branch occupied a goat must have buried itself in the ground in order to hide from me; he supposing I were a foe coming to capture him, which a foe would most assuredly do precisely because he (the goat) is plainly enchanted… or perhaps enchanter. I say plainly because it is clear to me that when the clever goat realised he didn’t have time enough to hide himself completely underground he enchanted his own leg (for it was the only part yet exposed) to look like a branch in order to trick his supposed pursuer.

Obviously, I considered grasping the branch in order to shake it and bring the goat out of his hiding. However, while I would have dearly liked to meet the clever goat (and I am sure you will agree with me, he must be very clever indeed!), a second thought on the matter belayed any consideration for shaking the poor creature out of his ingenious disguise, for fear I would frighten the life out of him! I comfort myself thinking it is quite enough to delight in my knowledge of him, and knowing the sweet mystery of falling for such a delicious trick… if only for a moment.

This is what I suspect the enchanted goat looks like obviously

 it is difficult to estimate given I only saw his

leg and only in my peripheral vision.