Goat on a Boat - Internals

Scholastic Australia From GOAT ON A BOAT by Nick Dent and Suzanne Houghton Text copyright © Nick Dent, 2019. Illustrations copyright © Suzanne Houghton, 2019 First published by Omnibus Books, a division of Scholastic Australia Pty Limited, 2019 Reproduced by permission of Scholastic Australia Pty Limited Book reading with permission by Scholastica Australia

For Theo - ND For Laura and Steph - SH

Omnibus Books an imprint of Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 11 000 614 577) PO Box 579, Gosford NSW 2250. www.scholastic.com.au Part of the Scholastic Group Sydney • Auckland • New York • Toronto • London • Mexico City • New Delhi • Hong Kong • Buenos Aires • Puerto Rico

Published by Scholastic Australia in 2019. Text copyright © Nick Dent, 2019. Illustrations copyright © Suzanne Houghton, 2019.

Nick Dent asserts his moral rights as the author of this work. Suzanne Houghton asserts her moral rights as the illustrator of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, unless specifically permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 as amended.

A fable by Nick Dent

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia catalogue record for this k is av il ble from the National Library of Australia

Illustrated by

Suzanne Houghton

ISBN: 978 1 76066 916 4

Typeset in Amasis.

An Omnibus Book from Scholastic Australia Scholastic Australia

Printed and bound by TWP Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia.

Scholastic Australia’s policy, in association with Tien Wah Press, is to use papers that are renewable and made efficiently from wood grown in responsibly managed forests, so as to minimise its environmental footprint.

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Food is quite scarce on the island of Joxx. The landscape is harsh and made mostly of rocks. A herd of pale sheep makes a home on its marshes – they forage wild oats and they fossick for grasses.

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Beneath the volcano they scrounge and they fumble. There isn’t much grass, so their bellies all rumble. They jostle their neighbours and grunt and compete for any stray morsels that livestock can eat.

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Then one bright morning, a Sunday in May . . . they noticed a speck that was floating their way.

and standing on board was a smallish, brown goat.

When it got closer it changed to a boat . . .

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The boat came aground, and out the goat jumped. The sheep were intrigued, so around him they clumped.

Then one sheep stood forward to broadcast his will: the group’s fearsome leader, named Bighorn Bill. Scholastic Australia

Said Bill: ‘He’s arrived to eat all our wild oats! We must bar his entry!

For if we let one on the island of Joxx, then others will follow – they travel in flocks.

must

. . .

We

‘Who asked it to come here? It wasn’t invited. I say if it comes any closer, then bite it. Or lock it away! It just isn’t fair. It’s hard enough here without having to s h a r e !’

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A ewe then spoke up who was called Fleecy Jean. ‘Bighorn Bill, that is selfish and mean. So what if he came here from over the sea? I say he c a n eat here, just like you or me.’

can

he?

The ram shook his horns and addressed her. We owe that goat zip. We’re not its nanny. It wants all our food. You can tell he’s a glutton. He’ll have to get back on his boat. Plain as mutton.’ ‘Oh,

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The goat remained silent. It looked at the sheep. Then l e ap t on a ledge that was craggy and steep. He soared up the hillside, as light as a bird, to the general astonishment of the whole herd.

Up, up, he continued, above the sheep’s heads to the higher-up rocks near the albatross beds. Up to a place where the sheep n e v e r go – ’cause altitudes scare them. They like it down low.

Fleecy Jean closed her eyes and then s h e One small step for goat, a large one for sheep. Then, having witnessed the demonstration, her friends soon did likewise (sheep like imitation).

took the leap.

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A woolly procession soon snaked up the slopes. Below, Bighorn Bill tutted: ‘You ovine dopes! I wouldn’t go up there. You’ll fall in the crater. You’re going to r e g r e t this, sooner or later.’

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Fleecy Jean reached the top with delirious glee and could not believe what her sheep eyes could see.

The goat reached the summit and paused on the rim. He took one look back and then hoofed it straight in.

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More grass than they ever could eat in a year – and all of the time it was hidden up here!

A field of wild oats! And thistles and clover! Their days of hunger and scrounging were o v e r !

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Who knew goats on boats could serve such a purpose? Fleecy Jean told her friends: ‘Now we have a grass surplus!

There is plenty to eat on the island of Joxx. No-one need dig in the dirt or chew rocks. Now sheep do not panic at creatures in boats. They no longer separate sheep from the goats.

Mr Goat, you’re a marvel. I hope you will stay. Please join us in feasting. I’ll pick you some hay.’

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Now, when a visitor lands on the beach

the animals wonder what things it can teach.

If arrivals need grass? They don’t really care. The sheep on the island have learned how to share. Scholastic Australia

maybe

. . .

one

Except

Down below in the marshes Old Bighorn Bill combs the rocks for stale grasses.

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And, whether they hail from near or afar, when someone comes close, he yells at them:

A

A

A

A

H

A

!

A

A

A

A

A

A

B

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Said Jean: ‘Life is fun with new friends to include, and I’ll tell you this, Goatie – I’m l ov i n g the food.’ Scholastic Australia