[Best L4] 13. A Mischievous Act - Siyun

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A Mischievous Act

 

 

Why do bullfighters always wave a piece of red cloth at bulls? Can bulls see red? I know Father sees red when I do not finish my homework. Do bulls get excited or mad when a red cloth is waved in front of them? What about goats?

 

These questions buzzed in my mind when I saw that goat grazing peacefully in the field. That Saturday, my parents and I were visiting a goat farm. As the farmer droned on about how he reared the goats, I sneaked away. That was when the goat at one end of the field caught my eye. I climbed onto a wooden fence and perched on it. What if I waved something red in front of that goat? Would it react like a bull?

 

I hunted for something red. I took off my cap and checked. It was blue. I looked down in front of me. I grinned. I hopped down from the fence and sauntered over to the goat, butvhaltedvabout 20 paces away. It looked up and then went back to munching its grass. Obviously, I was not an interesting specimen.

 

I pulled my red T-shirt off over my head. Bare-chested, I waved it the way I had seen bullfighters on television do. The goat continued munching. I continued waving and flapping the T-shirt. Suddenly, the goat-lowered its head. Then it snorted.

 

"I'd betterleavebeforeI'mintrouble," I thought. But trouble came faster than I had anticipated. The goat galloped towards me. "Help!" I yelled as I turned around and fled. I could hear its hoofs thudding behind me. My heart was thudding louder than those hoofs. As I ran, I tried hard to pull my T-shirt down over my head regretting my mischief.

 

The goat was almostupon me. The fence was too far but the tree to my right was near enough. I scrambled up the low branches of the tree and pulled my legs up just in time. The goat butted the tree. I shuddered.

 

It was a stalemate. The goat could not get me and I could not leave. How was I going to get back to Mother and Father? "Ben! Ben! Where are you?" I heard Mother call.

 

I parted the leaves and yelled, "I'm up here!" Mother turned but did not seem to have spotted me because she started calling for me again. Once more, I took off my red T-shirt, stuck my hand out and waved. The farmer and my parents must have seen the red 'flag' from among the leaves because I soon heard the farmer stomping up. When he reached my tree, he looked up.

 

"What are you doing there?" he asked.

 

"It chased me!" I replied indignantly, pointing at the goat.

 

The goat was led to the other end of the field and I made it back safely to Mother and Father. This incident taught me a lesson: let sleeping dogs lie. In my case, it was a goat.;the goat. The goat was led to the other end of the field and I made it back safely to Mother and Father. This incident taught me a lesson: let sleeping dogs lie. In my case, it was a goat.