Beetle and His Coat of Many Colors. Being Different is Good!

Beetle. What a name for a kid goat. As if that isn't bad enough, Beetle wasn't the same color as the other goat kids either. Most of the other kids had basically white coats with heads brown or black. Sometimes they would have very small spots, but for the most part, all the kids looked pretty much alike.

"Why me?" thought Beetle out loud. "I look like an ice cream sandwich!"

Beetle's brother, Nick, tried to console him. "Beetle, your name isn't that bad. Everyone can remember it! And your coat is absolutely one of a kind!" Beetle had a tear in his eye and Nick knew how upset he was. "Look Beetle. You are special in every way. You are handsome with your loud colored coat. The other kids are just jealous. Jealous I tell you. Beetle, someday, you will find out WHY you are so wildly colored. Someday you will understand how special you are! I'm your brother and I love you .. just the way you are!"

With that Nick ran to play with the other kids and hoped that Beetle would join them soon. He didn't and it made Nick sad to see Beetle standing with his head down under the old walnut tree. The walnut tree and Beetle had something in common, nobody wanted to be around either of them. Beetle, because of his name and color and the walnut tree because it was shaky and unsafe. Poor Beetle.

Fall gave way to winter. Winter was harsh this year and the snowstorms were plentiful. The homesteader and his wife took good care to keep the goats fed, warm and watered. Beetle hated the winter because he was forced to stay inside with all the other kid goats. They still laughed and made fun of him. All of the kid goats were getting yancy and ready to go back out to the pasture.

One day, the sun was shining and the kid goats decided to try and play outdoors. They took their time, following in each others foot steps. They ended up back by the old walnut tree. But alas! The old tree had been uprooted by one of the winter storms. There it lay, smack on top of a fence! The kids looked at each other and jumped for joy! They jumped up on the old tree and scampered around. Jumping up and down. What fun! Before anyone realized it, they were all on the "other" side of the fence. Now, they were on an adventure!!

"Stop! You aren't supposed to play on the tree! You are NOT supposed to go across the fence!" yelled Beetle. "Nick! PLEASE come back! The older goats will be so worried. The sun is setting and storm clouds are coming."

Nick listened. He did not make fun of Beetle like the others. But he didn't want the other goat kids to call him names like they did Beetle. So off they went, farther and farther away. Beetle stood watching until he could no longer see them. The wind was starting to come up. Beetle saw the older goats coming. "Where are our kids Beetle?", asked one of the does. Beetle stood with his head down, knowing that the momma goats would be very upset when they found out.

"They have all gone over the fence. They ran away playing and jumping. I tried to warn them. They only laughed at me", said Beetle.

The older goats were worried. The wind was getting fierce and the temperatures started dropping. Everyone knew that the kids would not survive the night out in this winter storm.

When the homesteader and his wife found no goats in the barn, they followed the goat tracks. They found the older goats and Beetle and were very upset about the missing kids. Beetle knew what he had to do. He had to go find Nick and the goat kids. Up, onto the fallen walnut tree he jumped. In four big strides he was over the fence and heading into the wind.

The homesteader told his wife to take the rest of the goats back to the barn and wait. He would get the sleigh and lantern and try to follow Beetle.

Beetle was getting cold. It was starting to snow and it was dark. In the distance there was a noise. A dreaded noise. The sound of coyotes. All kid goats are taught to fear the sound of a howling coyote. The hair on the back of Beetle's neck stood up straight. He was scared alright, but he HAD to find Nick and the others.

Beetle trudged on. It was hard to find a white goat with a colored head. The snow was falling on plowed ground, he could hardly tell what was what. He knew the homesteader must be trying to find them by now. How would the homesteader see the white goats with colored heads against the plowed furrows with snow?

Finally, Beetle heard another noise other than the coyotes. What was that? It was a faint crying. The closer he got the louder it got. It was Nick and the other kids huddled in the ravine that ran along the field. They all yelled Beetle's name and were amazed that he would come after them.

"How will we get home?" they asked. At that moment, the coyotes started howling louder. They were getting closer. Beetle said, "stay here huddled together. With my loud colored coat, I will attract either the homesteader or the coyotes. You stay very ,very quiet and very, very still!"

Beetle pranced out away from the kids. He ran in circles. He bucked and kicked. He cried out in his loudest voice. He tried so hard to get the coyotes attention off of his friends and onto him.

In the distance, Beetle could see the coyotes sneaking up. Closer and closer they were coming up on his left side. He just kept dancing and yelling. "Oh PLEASE find me Mr. Homesteader."

Beetle heard a noise to his right. He looked and could make out a light. The light was moving, it was the homesteader and the horse and sleigh! Coyotes don't like homesteaders and they quickly ran away.

Beetle ran back to Nick and the kids with the homesteader following him. The homesteader loaded Beetle and all the kids into the sleigh and took them home to the safe, warm barn.

When they reached the barn, the homesteader's wife asked "how did you ever find those white goats in the snow?"

"I was following Beetle's tracks and saw his wild colored coat! Beetle was coaxing the coyotes away from the other kids. Beetle saved the day! Beetle saved the goat kids!

Nick and the other goat kids all gathered around and thanked Beetle and cheered his name. They patted his wild colored coat and thanked Beetle for saving them. The other goats never again made fun of Beetle or the color of his coat.