It was a long time ago, when the horns of goats pointed to the sky, and the tails of camels dragged along the ground. Once upon a time there were seven goats with seven kids. A pack of hungry wolves ate all their kids, except one with copper horns. He frolicked on a steep, high rock, where he could not be reached. The goat with copper horns was left alone among the seven mother goats.
He sucked their milk, and then ran away to his rock, played there, ate green grass, drank cold water.
A hungry gray wolf came to these places and began to eat one goat after another. Soon there were no goats left. The goat began to cry with burning tears and began to burn. A gray wolf approaches him and asks:
- Why are you crying?
- How can I not cry? “I had seven mothers, but I don’t have one left,” the goat answers.
- Now it’s your turn. “I’ll eat you,” says the wolf.
- You can always eat me. But what good is it to you? I'm still small. Come back in a year, I'll be big and fat. Then eat.
The wolf agreed.
A year passed, and the wolf remembered the goat - copper horns. He came running and saw that he had become big, his horns sparkled in the sun, and his beard spread along the ground.
-What is that sparkling on your head? - asked the wolf.
- These are my swords. I can rip open the belly of any bear.
-What's on your chin? - the wolf asks again.
- This is my scarf. I use it to wipe myself off after lunch, when we have eaten some bear fat and wolf kidneys. Come out to fight, stand before my horns! - the goat shouted.
The gray wolf ran so fast out of fear that he did not notice the sharp thorns in the forest.
And the goat shouted after him:
- I will cut you open, I will swallow you, damn you!
A red fox runs towards a frightened wolf.
-Who are you running from, brave gray wolf?
- Oh, fox, I wanted to eat the goat - copper horns, but he almost killed me with his horns.
- What a coward you are, brother! I found someone to be afraid of. Let’s go together,” says the fox.
“I won’t go there again for anything,” the wolf answered and ran on.
A black bear walks towards him.
-Who are you afraid of, wolf?
- Oh, master, I wanted to eat the goat - copper horns, but he almost killed me.
“Let’s go together and have a look,” says the bear.
- No, I won’t go. “I’d rather die of hunger,” answered the wolf.
- Well, no, brave man, show me this beast. - And the bear deftly caught the wolf and tied it to his paw with a flexible waist.
They approached a high rock. And there the goat sharpens his copper horns on the stones with a ringing sound.
-What is that sparkling on your head? - asks the bear.
- It’s you that I need! Come out to fight, stand in front of my sword horns! - the brave goat shouted and rushed at the bear.
He started running without looking back and strangled the tied wolf. From a running start he ran into a large black stump and fell to his death.
And the goat with copper horns warmed himself on his rock all day, ate green grass, drank cold water. And he didn’t let anyone offend him.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru