The Goat on the Trail
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A runaway goat blocks Wesley and Arno's usual hiking trail, so they track down the farm it escaped from.
Wesley and Arno hike the same trail every Saturday morning. They know every turn by now.
Today, they walk around a corner and stop suddenly. A goat stands in the middle of the path.
"Where did that come from?" Wesley asks. The goat looks at them and doesn't move.
Arno takes a small step forward. The goat takes a step back and lowers its head.
"I don't think it wants to fight," Arno says. "It just wants us to go around."
They try walking around the goat on the left side. The goat moves and blocks them again.
"Maybe it's lost," Wesley says. "There's a farm about a mile from here."
Arno checks his phone for a signal. "There's a phone number on this sign," he says. He points at a small wooden sign nearby.
A farmer answers and thanks them for the call. "That's Daisy," he says. "She gets out sometimes."
The farmer arrives fifteen minutes later with a rope. He leads Daisy back toward the farm.
"Thanks for waiting," the farmer says. "Some hikers just walk past her."
Wesley and Arno wave goodbye and continue their hike. "That was a good trail story," Wesley says with a laugh. Arno agrees, and they walk on to finish the last two miles.
