A Christmaaaaa Carol by Charles DickensGoat

Yesterday we left Abbynezer contemplating a future without a Christmas Tree-t! Can she change her ways?

As Abbynezer woke from her dreams she wondered if it was too late for her.
She looked out of the barn and she saw a kid.
Hey kid!
Yes you, kid!
What day is this?

Why it's Christmaaaa Day!

Abbynezer was overjoyed!
She didn't miss Christmaaaa!
The spirits had done their work in one night!

Kid, kid? Is that basket of apples still there down at the Farm store?
The big one with plenty for all?

Why yes it is, the kid replied.

Well go and get it. Go and get it and bring it back here, maaaaed Abbynezer!
We shall have a feast!
A Christmaaaa feast!

So the kid ran off to the Farm store and Abbynezer ran out of the barn to gather all of the goats together.

She ran like she hasn't ran in a lifetime.

She maaaaed, follow me!

The others were surprised but they heard the word feast!

Come back Monday for the conclusion to our story!

A Christmaaaaa Carol by Charles DickensGoat

We return today after our Abbynezer had been visited by the Ghoast of Christmeow Present. Just what do you suppose is going to happen next?

Abbynezer became thoughtful after her visit from the Ghoast of Christmeow Present. She did not like that young Bruce the goat might not have enough warm milk to drink. She started to think that perhaps she had turned into a not so nice goat.  She knew there was going to be one more spirit to visit her and it was the one she dread most of all.

Baaaauuuuck! 

(Hey - you are not supposed to make a sound spirit. Keep it together!)

"Are you the spirit I most dread?" maaaaed Abbynezer
"Are you the Ghoast of Cluckmas Yet to Come?"

"Why do you sit upon me so silent, with your bony claws digging into my furs?"
"Are we to go on a journey? Are you to show me what might be if I don't change my ways?"

"OK Spirit, lead on?"

Baaaaauuuck!

(Seriously bird if you can't keep to the script you are going to be fried, erm fired!)

"What is that I see? Is that what waits for me? The horror! The horror!"
"Tell me Spirit, please tell me that I can change this!"

"Tell me that the future doesn't have to be this bare, this bleak."
"I CAN change!"

"No, anything but THAT!"
"A future without a Christmas Tree-t?! No goat deserves that!"

Abbynezer found herself falling and falling and falling until she found herself in the barn.
Will she change?

A Christmaaaaa Carol by Charles DickensGoat

Yesterday Abbynezer ScroogeGoat was visited by the Ghoast of Christmas Tree-t Past.

As she stumbled back to the barn Abbynezer wasn't sure what to make of what just happened. She shook it off as remnants of that bad hay. But then she heard the strangest sound.....

"I am the Ghost of Christmeow Present!"
"I am here to show you specters of the way things are."
"Touch my lustrous furs and we shall be on our way - NO BUTTING!"

Abbynezer reluctantly did as asked and suddenly found herself looking the most glorious Christmas Tree-t she had ever seen!

It was the Christmas Tree-t for this year!
It was big!
It was full of lush branches.
It was going to be all HERS!

JUST WAIT A MINUTE THERE GOAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!
You are not really here.
You are to observe.

Besides, that Tree-t has to go in the house to be used by the crazy humans first.

We will visit your employeegoat Pricilla CratchitGoat to see how she is faring this holiday season.

There she is, out in the cold, snowy weather.
Freezing because you won't let her into the barn!

You have all of that hay in your hay pile and yet you do not give her the slightest bit despite all of the hard work she does for you.

And her family - grandkid Louise and great grandkids Bruce and Clarence. They are hungry too. You don't pay her enough to keep them well fed. You should be ashamed of yourself!
Louise's milk will soon run out! She barely has enough for two and little Bruce is not growing as he should.

Look at him!
He is tiny!
He shivers in the cold snow!
What will become of him without a warm place to sleep and a good meal?

What did Pricilla CratchitGoat think of how Abbynezer treated other goats....

Well, let's just say she felt there was room for improvement and leave it at that.
Pricilla needed her job!

Abbynezer thought about this and she maaaed, "What WILL become of Bruce the goat? Will he be OK?"  The spirit said, " I see an empty place under Louise as Clarence nurses alone."

Abbynezer maaaed if these things were sure to come to pass or if they could change?
The spirit just left to go back where all were welcome:

Where all spirits met to compare notes.

Abbynezer went back to her barn fearing what might come next.....

A Christmaaaaa Carol by Charles DickensGoat

Yesterday we left Abbynezer thinking she had eaten moldy hay.

She went to sleep thinking nothing of what had happened.
She was awakened by a bright light.
A bright light in her barn.

What? What? she maaaaaed

"I am the ghoast of Christmas Tree-t Past"

I am here to show you the joy you use to take in Christmas Tree-t.

Just look at that Tree-t from many years ago!

Look how much you enjoy it!

You used to be a friendly goat.

A social goat.

But then you changed.

You did not keep Christmas!

"But...," Abbynezer maaaed

There is no but!

You are a mean, nasty goat.

You need to change.

My time is done.

I hope you learned to be more social.

Abbynezer did not believe that this was the key to anything and she just went back to bed.

Come back tomorrow to see what happens next.

A Christmaaaaa Carol by Charles DickensGoat

Our story continues from yesterday where we left Abbynezer ScroogeGoat about to return to her warm barn after a long day of work.

As Abbynezer approached the barn she heard a strange rumbling. She ran over to her favorite tree in fear. What could it be?

AAABBYYYYYNEEEEEZER!

The tree shook with the sound of the unearthly maaaaa!

Abbynezer tried to hide but it did her no good!

              AAABBYYYYYNEEEEEZER!

"Whooooo is it?" Abbynezer maaed to the tree.
"Who calls to me such?"

"It is I, MichaelGoat, your old partner!"

But you are gone, how can you be maaaing at me in my tree?

Be quiet and listen.

Listen well because I am here to try and save you.

Save you from yourself.

But I don't understand.
I don't need saving. 
WHERE are you?

QUIIIIIIIIIIIET!!!!!

I carry the weight of The Horns of Not Caring.

I want to save you from my fate.

You will be visited by three spirits.

Watch and learn, Abbynezer. 

Watch and learn!

Abbynezer did not believe that she heard MichaelGoat. She gave out a big PFFFFFFT.
She thought she might have eaten some moldy hay. Or some over fermented apples. She made her way into her warm barn and went to sleep.

She was sleeping soundly when there was a loud banging.....

Come back tomorrow to see what the noise was all about!

A Christmaaaaa Carol by Charles DickensGoat

MichaelGoat was gone: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.
Old MichaelGoat was gone as gone could be.

And Abbynezer ScroogeGoat knew he was gone having been his business partner and only friend. ScroogeGoat never painted out MichaelGoat's name on the Hay Pile sign and there it stayed the same for years.

ScroogeGoat was a tighthooved master. Cold hearted and mean. Abbynezer did not share. She did not give. Her heart was as frozen as the snow on the ground.

A visitor came to the Hay Pile to see ScroogeGoat. ScroogeGoat's own kid,ThelmaGoat.
Wishing Abbynezer a Maaa-y Christmas. "Humbug!" maaaed Scrooge. "Leave my Hay Pile and go somewhere else to find somewhere to celebrate."

ScroogeGoat was also mean to her one employee - Pricilla CratchitGoat. Pricilla was the nicest, kindest goat that ever came to work for any caprine.

Pricilla had to work outside no matter the conditions.

She never received any of that delicious hay from the Hay Pile to eat. She had to forage for what she could find. But that did not stop Pricilla from wishing ScroogeGoat merry.
For Pricilla knew how to keep Christmas.

ScroogeGoat was walking from the Hay Pile to the office when he encountered a businessgoat who was looking for a donation for the poorgoats in the city. ScroogeGoat looked to them and said they should go forage where they may.

The businessgoat was shocked! What if they do not survive? What if they die? ScroogeGoat maaaaed, "they had better do it and decrease the surplus population!"

Abbynezer was in for a surprise when she went home to her barn that night.

Tune in tomorrow to see what it is!