ROOSTLINGS · STORY 07
Goats on the Roof
By Lars & Luc · Ages 3–5
Dax and Waffle visit the Farm for an adventure involving goats on the roof and the rule: help, don’t hurt.
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Morning at the Roost. Ivy and Obi rode the Lift. Dax raced Waffle round the trunk. Waffle won. Twice.
Hana's hat was on Kite's head. Kite did not know. Hana did not know. "My hat's gone," said Hana. "Kite, will you see?"
Tik-tik! Kite bobbed his head. "That's a yes!" He looked under the Bell. Not there. He looked in the Nooks. Not there.
Ding-dong-DING! Dax stopped. Waffle stopped a bit later. The hat stayed on. Down at the roots stood the Farmer, rope in his hand.
"Roostlings! The Bell!" called Fig. "Up and out!" called four kids. "My goats are on the barn roof," the Farmer called up. "Three goats. One roof."
Everyone ran up to the Bell, and then the song. "Ivy and Pebble, push and pull!" Hrrmph! "Hana and Kite, see and fetch!" Tik-tik!
"Dax and Waffle, run and find!" Chirrup! "Obi and Maple, reach and lift!" Hmmmm. "Little ones. Big help!"
"Goats on a roof," said Fig. "Big roof. Small goats." She looked round at all four. "Who's the one for a small thing?"
"Dax and Waffle!" "Waffle, you'll find," said Fig. "Pebble, you'll pull." "We've got a hat to find," said Hana. Kite looked behind Fig.
Down the Slide. Wheee! And go!
Waffle first. Then Dax. Then Pebble, with Ivy. The Farmer came last, on his feet, and he did not run.
Three goats stood on the barn roof, one above the other. "They went up," said the Farmer. "They won't come down."
By the wall lay an old dinosaur, fast asleep, nose on his feet. His plates went up his back like stairs. "Goat stairs," said Dax.
Before anyone said a word, Waffle was up the stairs and onto the roof. The old dinosaur opened one eye. Then shut it. Waffle looked down. Waffle sat down.
Dax ran at the barn, arms up, to shoo the goats down. All three went to the far edge. So did Waffle. "Dax," said Ivy. "Help, don't hurt. They're scared." Dax stopped. Arms down. Back came the goats, and Waffle.
Dax looked up at Waffle. Waffle looked down at Dax. "Waffle, will you find?"
Chirrup! Her tail fanned. "That's a yes!" Waffle found the way down. It was the way up. Down his back she came, plate by plate. After her came one goat.
Then the old dinosaur got up, slow, and went off for a drink. No more stairs. "That's a no," said Dax. "Fair enough." By the hay-shed lay the Farmer's long ramp. "Goat slide," said Dax. "Pebble, will you pull?"
Hrrmph! Frill down. "That's a yes!" Pebble pulled the ramp to the barn, and pushed the end up to the roof. Down came the middle goat, slow. The littlest goat was too high for the ramp.
At the Roost, Fig had the big glass on the Farm. Two down. One up. "One more. A tall thing. Obi and Maple, down you go."
Maple came down the trunk-path, one big foot at a time. Obi rode on his neck. At the barn the neck came down. Off slid Obi.
Obi stood by the Farmer and looked up at the littlest goat. "Maple, will you reach?"
Hmmmm. Down came Maple's neck. "That's a yes!" Then Maple reached, up past the ramp. He laid his head on the roof, and waited.
The littlest goat sniffed his nose. Then it stepped on. Maple lifted it down, slow, to the grass. All down.
"Well, now," said the Farmer. "Thank you. Pears! Have a pear." He put one on the wall, for the old dinosaur. Dax said it as loud as the Bell. "Ring the Bell, and we'll come."
Up the Lift. Creak. Clunk. Kite was looking in the Nooks. Still no hat.
"Big Book, open." Fig found the page with the plates. "Three true things about the Stegosaurus."
"One," said Dax. "Big flat plates stand up on his back, in two rows. Four long spikes stick out of his tail."
"Two," said Hana. "Nobody is sure what the plates are for. Maybe to look big. Maybe to warm up in the sun. People are still working it out."
"Three," said Ivy. "He keeps his head low. He eats low plants with his beak." Fig shut the book. "Written down. People found the bones, and looked, and looked."
Kite bobbed his head. Hana's hat slid down over his eyes. "Kite!" said Hana. "My hat! You found it." She put it on. "On Kite's head all day," said Fig. "Maybe to warm up in the sun."
"Ivy and Pebble, home. Hana and Kite, home. Dax and Waffle, home. Obi and Maple, home. And Fig makes nine. All home."
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