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As It Happens

'Zlateh the Goat': An end of Hanukkah tale

We mark the seventh night of Hanukkah with a reading of the story of "Zlateh the Goat," about a family that plans to sell their goat to pay for Hanukkah celebrations, but has a change of heart after a blizzard hits their village.
CBC Radio ·
A black and white illustration of a boy in a trench coat and hat sitting at a table next to a goat.
The cover of the children's book, "Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories," written by Isaac Bashevis Singer and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. (HarperCollins Publishers)
As It Happens11:28Zlateh the Goat

Mild winters are bad news for people who make a living selling fur coats. So Reuven, the furrier, finds himself with little money to pay for Hanukkah celebrations and gifts. 

So Reuven decides to sell the family's goat, Zlateh. Reuven sends his son, Aaron, to town to deliver the goat to the local butcher. But on their long trip into town, Aaron and Zlateh are caught in a snowstorm.

Zlateh the Goat is the story of how the lives of both the boy and the goat are changed on their journey.

Zlateh the Goat is written by Isaac Bashevis Singer and was originally illustrated by Maurice Sendak, the writer and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are. It's published by HarperCollins.

The story is read by late As it Happens host, Fireside Al Maitland.

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