"The Little Goat"

[Nanno]

Phil's mother sent Phil a bunch of his childhood books so we would have something to read to our nephews and niece next time they visit. As we were looking through them we noticed a long-forgotten but well-worn copy of a book called The Little Goat. It's about a boy named Andy who gets a pet goat named Sam for his birthday. It's illustrated with photographs, not drawings. What set this book apart was that Andy trained Sam as a working goat. He used what appears to be a dog harness to hitch Sam to his Radio Flyer wagon. There's a funny picture of Sam following Andy up the porch stairs with an upside-down wagon trailing behind him during their early training attempt.

Last of all, Andy and Sam go for a hike and a campout and Sam carries a little pack with some of Andy's camping gear in it. I got so excited I nearly jumped up and down. "It's a packgoat book, Phil!!" The last page shows a photo of Andy and Sam bedded down in a tent for a night of camping.

Now I know why Phil loves goats. He'd forgotten this little book, but it stayed somewhere in his subconscious, reminding him that he once dreamed of owning a pet goat that could pull and pack.