{"id":162,"date":"2008-11-12T14:21:14","date_gmt":"2008-11-12T18:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gloriacrist.com\/blog\/?p=162"},"modified":"2008-11-12T14:35:43","modified_gmt":"2008-11-12T18:35:43","slug":"the-mule-and-the-goat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gloriacrist.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/the-mule-and-the-goat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mule and the Goat……"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0I am prone to get on my bike and ride.\u00a0 It’s an old black all terrain bike-but it works and it provides an hour\u00a0 or so of escape.\u00a0 I love that bike-more so, because, as I have admitted before, I can no longer run the distances I used to…….a side affect of older knees you know.\u00a0 But I can bike-and I have back-roads, side roads and New England country sides\u00a0providing miles of mental escape. I love my bike.<\/p>\n

On a recent ride-I happened upon a farm that is part of one of my routes.\u00a0 The farm has an array of chickens, cows, goats and a mule.\u00a0One squatty, grass bellied mule. He-or she-I confess I don’t know if one is better than the other\u00a0down on the farm-and apart from the obvious( I was not that <\/em>close) I don’t know how you know…..anyway, that mule was clearly out\u00a0numbered-and clearly serving a purpose.\u00a0Many farmers keep mules around to keep the coyotes at bay.\u00a0 A mule will protect and kick-as I have been told-and no matter how hungry the coyote-a kicking mule is no match. I observed the\u00a0 New England post card scene for a bit and biked onward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the way back-same farm site-this one lone mule ( mule-ette?!)\u00a0was lining everyone up the hill towards a waiting pile of hay.\u00a0 It was lunch-a sunny spot for a mid-day meal-chickens, goats, cows and the like….every other animal-especially the goats, were lined up the hill.\u00a0That is, with\u00a0the exception, of one brown goat.\u00a0 That goat.\u00a0 Determined to stand her (his) ground-was not going to budge.\u00a0 No way that goat was going to do what every other animal was doing…mule ordered.\u00a0 I, of course was curious to see how this was all going to play out-goat and mule head to head; mission against mission.\u00a0 I began crafting conversations for each- as I watched them battle out wills.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mule:\u00a0 Just get up the hill and eat-for God’s sake.\u00a0 It’s hay.\u00a0\u00a0 You like hay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Goat:\u00a0 But I don’t want to eat just yet.\u00a0 There is a breeze coming off the bay-the sun is strong and I want to remain here-by myself for just a bit longer.\u00a0 A little alone time-if you know what I mean.<\/p>\n

(the goat turned away from the mule to walk back down the hill towards the sunny spot in the back of the fenced in area….there by the fake owl on the corner fence post\u00a0and the giant rock-most certainly warm from the sun)<\/p>\n

The mule was quicker than I thought he (she?) would be and in an instant-was head butting the goat in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

Mule: You are going up that hill.\u00a0 It’s what we do everyday at this same exact time-in the same exact spot-just head up the hill and eat the damn hay.\u00a0 Please.<\/p>\n

Goat:\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I don’t want to.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mule: ( Once again head butting the goat in the other direction)\u00a0 It’s my job.\u00a0 It’s what I do.\u00a0 It’s what I was hired to do……….besides, you know he’s watching and if I fail at getting you up that hill-well, then, I might be put out in the other<\/em> pasture. The shady side.\u00a0 I hate the shady side.<\/p>\n

Silence. Other animals waiting.\u00a0 watching.<\/p>\n

They were head to head there for a while. A minute or so.\u00a0 really.\u00a0 head to head.\u00a0 A meeting of animal minds.\u00a0 Mule to goat. And then the goat turned and walked up the hill.\u00a0 The mule gave a slight nudge after the fact.\u00a0 The goat fell in line with the others and headed up\u00a0toward the mound of hay.\u00a0 That mule, I swear this is the truth, turned and looked at me-and I swear, right there at the bottom of the hill in the middle of the sunny patch of farm- that\u00a0mule turned and smiled at me.\u00a0 A slight smile of satisfaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I continued on my ride home.<\/p>\n

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