1. Slide 1
What Goat Learned
A Tale from Haiti
Who are your teachers? What do you learn from them? What would happen if you stopped listening to them?
Long, long ago, when the land was new and all the animals were free to do as they wished, Cat and Goat were good friends. They spent their days together exploring the green forests and high mountains of their beautiful island home.
It was during their travels that Goat began to notice the way that Cat moved. Goat was loud and clumsy, but Cat could creep quietly along the forest floor. Cat could leap gracefully from rock to rock. And best of all, Cat could climb high into the tall green trees. In fact, Cat made climbing trees look like so much fun, Goat was eager to try it himself.
“Cat,” said Goat, “you are an expert at climbing trees. Will you teach me to climb, too?” Cat agreed.

2. A Tale from Haiti (Cont.)
Slide 2
What Goat Learned
A Tale from Haiti (Cont.)
Now, climbing trees was not something that came naturally to Goat. Oh, no! After all, Goat did not have claws for digging into tree trunks. He did not have a long tail for balance. He was not quick, and he was not graceful. But with Cat’s help, Goat made progress.
Clat-a-tat-tat! Clat-a-tat-tat! As Cat watched, Goat’s front hooves clattered up a tree trunk. Clat-a-tat-tat! Clat-a-tat-tat! Goat’s front legs reached higher and higher while his back legs stayed on the ground. After a few attempts, Goat was able to stretch his front legs halfway up the trunk. He could even reach the lowest branches and nibble on the tasty green leaves.
“Keep going!” cried Cat. “Don’t give up! As my grandfather used to say: ‘With patience, even an ant can climb a mountain!’”
So Goat kept trying. But try as he may, Goat’s back legs never came off the ground.

3. A Tale from Haiti (Cont.)
Slide 3
What Goat Learned
A Tale from Haiti (Cont.)
One fine morning not long after this, Cat went to find his friend Goat. He saw Goat beside a tree, talking to Dog.
“Watch closely, Dog, and do what I do,” said Goat. Then he lifted his front hooves onto the tree trunk. Clat-a-tat-tat! Clat-a-tat-tat! Goat was teaching Dog everything he’d learned about how to climb a tree.
Now Cat knew that if Dog learned how to climb, there would be real trouble in the trees! A cat like her would have no safe place to go. But Cat also knew that Goat had never really finished his lessons so he didn’t yet know how to climb a tree.
“Goat,” said Cat with a clever smile, “I see that you have become a teacher! There is nothing more you can learn from me. Good luck!”

4. A Tale from Haiti (Cont.)
Slide 4
What Goat Learned
A Tale from Haiti (Cont.)
And with that, Cat climbed the tree and stretched out on a high branch, watching what was going on below. Goat and Dog continued to take turns trying to climb the tree. Again and again, they stretched their front legs up the trunk as high as they could. But their back legs never left the ground.
“Without me as a teacher,” thought Cat, “Goat will never have the knowledge to climb trees. And if Goat doesn’t learn how to climb trees, he can’t teach Dog how to climb either. I am safe up here, indeed!”
And that is why Goat never completed his lessons with Cat. And that is why Goat never learned to climb to the top of a tree, and neither did Dog.
Clat-a-tat-tat! Clat-a-tat-tat!
Unit 1, Week 1
1. Why is it important not to quit if your first attempt at something doesn’t work out?
2. What might happen if you pour milk in a clumsy way?
3. What do you like to do after you’ve completed your homework?
4. What are you eager to do this weekend?
5. Who are some experts in your neighborhood? What do they do?
6. Who moves more gracefully, a ballet dancer or a mail carrier?
7. What kind of knowledge does a doctor need?
8. What kind of lessons would you like to take?
9. Why do you need to have patience to complete a large jigsaw puzzle?
10. What is a sign of progress when you’re learning to ride a bike?