Children's Business Review

Unless You Intend To Resolve A Problem Or Spark Change, Resist Complaining

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“It’s been awhile since you last visited me!” Aris exclaimed as he glanced up from his paper to see Clara strolling towards the branch he was resting on. 

“I’m sorry,” Clara responded somewhat sheepishly. “A new bear named Eli moved to the forest. I guess he and I have become friends; we’ve certainly been spending a lot of time together.”

Aris smiled, flew to where Clara was sitting and sat on the ground facing her. “I’m not cross Clara, I just wondered what you were up to. I’ve missed passing time with my favourite bear,” he said warmly. 

Clara beamed.

“Well in any event, you’re here now. Tell me, how have you been?” Aris asked his young friend.

“I’m ok,” Clara began, “At first it was really nice having a new friend, but I’m really not sure that I want to spend time with Eli anymore.”

“Whyever not?” Aris questioned.

“We always have to play what he wants to play or go where he wants to go. I even tried to get him to come here to meet you and he refused,” Clara responded, clearly exasperated.   

“It doesn’t sound like you enjoy spending time with him,” remarked Aris. “Would you like to hear a story about a goat I know who sounds just like Eli?”.

“Yes please!” exclaimed Clara, happy to be spending time with her friend and listening, once again, to his stories.

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You’ve almost certainly heard the story of the three billy goats Gruff, how they outsmarted the greedy troll, crossed a bridge, made their way to a flourishing field and lived happily ever after. I would be surprised, however, if you’ve been told of the three billy goats’ sister, a fourth goat Gruff, who was nicknamed “the grumbling goat Gruff”. Her story is quite different than that of her brothers and is one you won’t forget easily. 

It’s probably true that the grumbling goat Gruff, whose real name was Katie, would be as recognized as her brothers if she had joined them in pursuit of a new home on that fateful day. Her absence was certainly not her brothers’ doing as she was invited to join them, and very nearly did. 

When awoken by her brothers that morning, Katie listened to their plans but rather than joining them, Katie chose to remain in bed. 

After all, she hadn’t slept well the night before and believed that in all likelihood her brothers wouldn’t find a new field and would return home that evening, tired and worn-out from their fruitless exploration. 

Quite unfortunately for Katie, her brothers did not return home that night, nor any other night because as you’re well aware, they succeeded in their search for a new home and were on their way to living happily ever after. 

At this point you might be feeling sorry for Katie and wondering what kind of brothers would leave their sister alone in what was quite a barren field.  Before you judge the Gruff brothers too harshly, know that they did in fact make arrangements for Katie before leaving. In the event that she chose not to join them and they didn’t return, there was a place waiting for Katie, should she choose to accept it of course, at a nearby neighbour’s farm. 

After several days passed, it dawned on Katie that her brothers would most likely not return to her and had almost certainly found a new field to call home. My brothers should have been more forceful and insisted that I join them when they left. Katie said to herself, All that’s left for me now is either certain starvation or a life of boredom and captivity on the farm. 

While not relishing the thought of giving up her freedom and moving to a farm, the thought of starvation was more than Katie could bear and so after gathering her few belongings, Katie promptly set off for the farm. 

As I mentioned, arrangements had been made and so Katie’s appearance at the farm was not entirely unexpected. After being shown what would be her stall in the barn, Katie was left to her own devices in order that she might discover for herself what life on the farm was like. 

If you’re not familiar with rural life, you may not realize that goats are much sought after on a farm as there are no shortage of ways in which they can be useful. A goat’s milk is often drunk, sold or made into cheese, which can itself be sold at the market. Goat’s wool regularly serves as a substitute for the more expensive sheep’s wool, and, due in part to their seemingly limitless energy, goats are often used to pull small carts to-and-from the market. And of course, if a goat proves unfit for any of these activities, the cutting board and cooking pot is never far away… 

After allowing Katie a week to settle in, the farmer’s wife endeavoured to introduce her into the routine that she had established with the farm’s other female goats, namely, milking the goats one-by-one every morning. 

It became quickly evident to the farmer’s wife that Katie had no intention of being one of the farm’s milk-supplying goats.  Not only would Katie fuss and make the task of milking her difficult but, to make matters worse, on several occasions Katie knocked over the milk bucket spilling not only Katie’s milk, but the milk from the goats that the farmer’s wife had previously milked as well.  Needless to say, the prospect of milking Katie was one the farmer’s wife did not look forward to. 

“Perhaps Katie is more of a wool supplier than a milk producer,”  The farmer mentioned to his wife after listening to her recount to him, for the umpteenth time, the troubles she was having getting milk from Katie. “I have noticed that her wool is exceptionally fine and fast growing,” he added. 

Delighted that she would no longer have to deal with Katie, the farmer’s wife was more than happy to relinquish the problem of Katie to her husband. 

And so the next morning, the farmer sharpened his shears and, after considerable struggle, managed to clip Katie’s locks for the first time. 

That was certainly an experience I did not appreciate! Katie thought to herself after the farmer was done. The next time the farmer tries to trim my wool, he’ll be in for a surprise.   

True to her word, from that point on Katie was ready for the farmer whenever he approached her with shears in hand. Katie quickly proved herself as being quite adept at escaping the farmer’s grasp and then bounding away and hiding herself in the most inconvenient and inventive spots that either of them could possibly imagine. And on those occasions when Katie was not in the mood to run and hide, she would simply roll about in the mud and then trot amongst a particularly dense patch of thistles. By the time the farmer would catch up with her, Katie’s wool was of little value to anyone. 

It was eventually determined, by both the farmer and his wife, that it would probably be best if they forget about obtaining milk or wool from Katie however they remained hopeful that she might prove useful in pulling their small cart to-and-from the market.   

True to form, all efforts made to employ Katie as a cart-puller proved disastrous. After more than a few upturned carts, which resulted in a loss of milk, cheese, and in one instance, a cask of the farmer’s favourite beer, Katie’s role as cart-puller concluded.

“I’m afraid that Katie has only one more possible use to us;” the farmer remarked to his wife as he was particularly frustrated with Katie, “we shall simply have to eat her.”   

At that point, Katie’s fate would have been sealed had it not been for the protestations of the farmer’s youngest daughter, who had grown quite fond of Katie. 

“We can’t eat Katie!” She cried to her parents. “She’s my best friend in the entire world and I will never forgive you if you take her away from me!” 

As their youngest daughter sobbed, the farmer and his wife felt their once-angry hearts melting. And so Katie, the grumbling goat Gruff, was not eaten, nor was she ever milked, sheared or made to pull a cart again. From that point on, to Katie’s contentment, her only job, which she accomplished effortlessly, was to be a friend to the farmer’s youngest daughter.

******

“Katie is very lucky that she didn’t end up as dinner!” giggled Clara. 

“Indeed she was,” replied Aris with a grin on his round face. “If not for the farmer’s daughter, I fear her luck would have run out.”

 “I don’t think anyone is going to eat Eli!” Clara joked, delighted to at last spend time with a true friend. 

“Probably not,” laughed Aris. “but the world is not always kind to people who complain and unfortunately for Eli, there may not be a farmer’s daughter around to save him if need arises.”