Section 1
Once, there was a tailor who had three sons but owned only a single goat. Since the goat provided milk for the entire family, it needed to be well-fed and taken to pasture every day. As a result, the sons took turns doing this. One day, the oldest son took the goat to the churchyard, which had the best herbs for grazing, and allowed it to eat and play there. "When the goat was ready to return home at night, the eldest son asked, "Have you eaten enough, goat?" The goat replied.
"I have consumed enough food and will not eat any more leaves, meh! meh!"
The youth then said, "Let's go home," and grasped the cord around the goat's neck. He led her back to the stable and tied her up tightly. The old tailor asked, "So, has the goat eaten enough food?" The son replied, "Oh yes, she has consumed so much that she won't eat any more leaves." However, the father wanted to confirm this for himself. He went down to the stable, caressed the beloved animal, and inquired, "Are you satisfied, goat?" To which the goat replied,
"What reason do I have to be satisfied? I hopped around among the graves and found no food, so I went without, meh! meh!"
The tailor exclaimed, "What am I hearing?" and hurried upstairs. He then said to the son, "Hey, you liar! You claimed that the goat had eaten enough, but you let it go hungry!" The tailor was so enraged that he grabbed the yardstick from the wall and beat the son with it, driving him out of the house.
The following day, it was the second son's turn to take the goat out to pasture. He found a spot in the garden fence where only the best herbs grew, and the goat devoured them all. When night fell, and it was time to go back home, the second son asked the goat, "Have you eaten enough, goat?" The goat replied,
"I have consumed enough food, and I won't eat any more leaves, meh! meh!"
The second son then took the goat back home and tied her up in the stable. The tailor asked, "So, has the goat eaten enough food?" The son replied, "Yes, she has consumed so much that she won't eat any more leaves." The tailor, still not satisfied, went down to the stable and asked the goat, "Have you eaten enough food, goat?" The goat replied,
"What reason do I have to be satisfied? I hopped around among the graves and found no food, so I went without, meh! meh!"
It was now the turn of the third son, who was determined to do the task properly. He searched for bushes with the finest leaves and allowed the goat to devour them. In the evening, when it was time to return home, he asked the goat, "Have you eaten enough, goat?" The goat replied,
"I have eaten enough and won't eat another leaf, meh! meh!"
The third son then took the goat back home, tied her up in the stable, and told his father that the goat had eaten enough. The tailor still wasn't convinced and went down to the stable to ask the goat directly, "Have you had enough food, goat?" To his dismay, the goat answered wickedly,
"Why should I be satisfied? I jumped around the graves but found no food, so I went without, meh! meh!" replied the goat wickedly to the old tailor's question. The old tailor was outraged and cried out, "You are all a brood of liars! Each one of you is as wicked and forgetful of his duty as the other! You shall no longer make a fool of me!" He was so angry that he ran upstairs and beat the poor third son with the yard-measure so vigorously that he was forced to flee from the house.
