The Two Goats

A fable retold from Fifty Famous Fables, by Lida B. McMurry

This fable comes from Fifty Famous Fables by Lida B. McMurry, an American educator who collected and retold traditional stories for young readers in the early twentieth century. The tale of the two goats teaches children about the cost of stubbornness and the importance of patience and sharing. When neither goat is willing to wait or compromise, both lose everything. This classic fable has been told for generations and remains a gentle, memorable lesson in cooperation.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 403 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Fifty Famous Fables, Lida B. McMurry · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.