On the mountain there were two goat herds.
The Crags, who lived on the east face.
The Horns, who lived on the west.
They had argued about the same thing for seven years.
“The east face is steeper,” said the Crags. “We are better climbers.”
“The west face is harder,” said the Horns. “WE are better climbers.”
Round and round.
Year after year.
Until someone said: race. 🐐
🏔️ A Fair Judge
But who would referee?
Not a Crag. Not a Horn.
Not any of the senior goats, who all had opinions and couldn’t be trusted.
Someone suggested the smallest goat on the mountain.
A kid named Pip.
Small enough that neither herd thought she mattered.
Quiet enough that both herds had forgotten to include her in the argument in the first place.
Pip agreed.
But she had conditions.
“No one argues with my call,” said Pip. “No one. Agreed?”
Both herds looked at each other.
“Agreed,” they said. Because she was so small they thought it didn’t matter.
That was their first mistake.
🐐 The Race
The course was the same for both: straight up the north face, around the summit boulder, back down.
Scramble. Scramble. Scramble.
The Crags were fast on the way up.
The Horns were faster on the way down.
Three goats from each herd crossed the finish at almost exactly the same moment.
The herds looked at Pip.
Pip looked at her notes.
“It’s a draw,” said Pip.
Chaos.
“It CANNOT be a draw!”
“Someone must have won!”
“I said no one argues with my call,” said Pip. Very calmly. Very small. Very certain.
The herds stopped.
They had agreed.
💛 Carter Watched the Whole Thing
Carter had been sitting on a rock with a packed lunch, which turned out to be the best seat in the mountain.
“So what happens now?” Carter asked Pip afterward. “If it’s a draw?”
“They’re equal,” said Pip simply. “Which is what they’ve always been. They just needed someone to say it officially.”
“And you’re not worried they’ll argue again?”
Pip looked at the two herds, who were standing awkwardly near each other, neither quite willing to walk away first.
“Next year I’ll referee again,” she said. “It’ll be a draw then too.”
She hopped off and left Carter with the packed lunch and a very good story to tell. 🐐