Greedy Gary Goat

Gary Goat stopped by Hailey Hen’s house.

“I’ve come to fix your swing,” he said.

“Go right out to the backyard,” Hailey said.

While Gary replaced some old boards on the swing, Hailey Hen placed a sheet of sugar cookies on the windowsill.

“Help yourself to a cookie,” Hailey said, and then she popped back inside.

As soon as Gary was finished with the swing, he took a cookie and popped it into his mouth. The cookie was delicious and still warm from the oven. Gary decided to take another, and another.

Before long, all the cookies on the sheet were gone.

Embarrassed, Gary rushed off.

Meanwhile, Tonya Turtle was pulling chocolate cupcakes from the oven when a knock came at the door.

I’m not even dressed yet, Tonya thought.

“Who is it?” Tonya asked.

“It’s me,” Gary replied. “I have the plants that you wanted.”

She rushed down the hall to her room. “Come in, I’ll be right out.”

Gary opened the door to the smell of fresh chocolate cupcakes. He saw them lying on the kitchen table.

“Help yourself to a cupcake,” Tonya called from her room.

After Gary carried Tonya’s plants into the house, he grabbed a cupcake and popped it into his mouth. The cupcake was so tasty that he had to have another, and another.

Before long, all the cupcakes were gone.

Embarrassed, Gary ran from the house, leaving the door open behind him.

The same thing happened when he arrived at Gertrude Goose’s house to fix her lawn sprinkler. Gary wound up eating all the sunflower seeds Gertrude had offered him.

At noontime, Gary arrived at Hailey Hen’s house for lunch.

“Have a seat while I finish preparing the food,” Hailey said.

Hailey entered the kitchen, and then returned with all of Gary’s friends. “Happy birthday!” they shouted.

Hailey brought out Gary’s favorite – a white cake with chocolate frosting.

“I also had sugar cookies for you, but while they were cooling, someone ate them,” Hailey said.

Gary gulped.

“I had made chocolate cupcakes, but after you left my house, someone came in and ate all of them,” Tonya added.

Gary squirmed in his seat.

“I wanted to make the most delightful sunflower seed treats to offer as a snack, but someone took them from me before I had a chance to make them,” Gertrude chimed in. “Oh, I hope whoever it was doesn’t drink any water right after. I heard sunflower seeds grow into sunflowers in your belly.”

Everyone else snickered, all except Gary, whose face turned bright red.

“I have a confession to make,” Gary announced to his friends. “I ate Hailey’s cookies, and Tonya’s cupcakes, and Gertrude’s sunflower seeds. I’m really sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have been so greedy.”

“That’s okay,” Hailey said. “We forgive you. Let’s have some cake and enjoy your birthday.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll pass on the cake,” Gary said. “My stomach’s not feeling so well.”

“It must be the sunflowers in your belly,” Gertrude said.

Gary rolled his eyes, and everyone else laughed.