The Goat Who Sailed the World by Jackie French

Author:Jackie French [Jackie French]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780730444497
Publisher: HarperCollins

CHAPTER 23

The Goat

10th October, 1769

The Goat watched as the boys were brought aboard. Two of them looked even younger than her Boy, but were taller by far, and broader too. Why does the ship need more boys? she thought.

‘Clothe them,’ said the captain shortly.

The boys looked at the Goat with interest. The Goat inspected them too, then ignored them. The rest of the ship might find them fascinating, but she wanted her grass and her fresh water. And the sooner the crew stopped fooling about with other humans, no matter how exotic, the better pleased she’d be.

She was munching her hay that night when the captain passed. He stopped to scratch her ears, as he sometimes did. But tonight he seemed distracted, gazing back towards the shore.

‘I was wrong,’ the captain said softly. ‘The blood in the water was my fault alone. I do not think men at home will justify what I have done today. Nor can I excuse myself.’

And then he went below.

Cook ordered the boys be put ashore the next day. The boys protested, claiming that their enemies would find them and eat them. But Cook insisted.

The Goat munched her hay and watched the boat take the boys and the captain back across the bay. At least her Boy wasn’t one of the party this time.

She watched again as the boat rowed back—still without fresh water or food, despite further attempts to trade.

The ship sailed on. The humans dashed here and there, trading red cloth for smelly fish with the local people in their canoes, or rescuing the little Tahitian servant boy, Taiata, when the local men tried to kidnap him. But despite trading for Maori potato or wild celery there was no place safe enough for the ship to anchor close enough to fill up with fresh water—or cut grass for the Goat.

‘Eeegh,’ the Goat yelled at the captain, at Mr Banks, at her Boy. But no one paid much attention.

Finally, the Goat got the fresh grass she’d been waiting for. It was at Tolaga Bay, a place that the people in the previous bay had recommended for its good water and grass.

For a Goat it was paradise. Even the air smelled of flowers. The Boy went ashore, and brought her the grass she craved. There were hills of shrubs to look at and smell—the boy even brought her a few branches, knowing she liked new things to nibble, as long as she wasn’t expected to give up her regular food.

But the grass—the grass was the best she’d ever tasted. This place was good!

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