The Three She-Goats

© copyright, Raymond Descheneaux, 2019

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Al-Kharijah is a wealthy principality that has, on occasion, aroused the envy of rival kingdoms who accordingly have invaded our land. It is for this reason that all of our boys are trained as warriors, for a strong army is our main defense. During the course of the fighting, a lowborn soldier may prove to be as valorous as a boy from a noble family. Many years ago, such a boy rose through the ranks and became a division commander. He was a large, robust man, and during his thirty years of leadership, his men never lost a battle.

Unfortunately, during this time, he suffered many facial wounds that rendered him ugly. For this, unkindly, he was ostracized. Because of his heroic service, the Sheik gave him a fine sword of Damascus steel in a richly decorated scabbard and proposed to make him a duke. But the warrior had no desire for status. Instead, he asked simply to be given a remote tract of land within which he could retire. Reluctantly, the Sheik acquiesced, and soon thereafter, the warrior walked into the wilderness. No one ever saw him again.

Some years later, in a village in a neighboring kingdom, a peasant woman gave birth to three baby girls. The infants were perfect in every way; but before their naming day arrived, they developed horns. Everyone took this to be an evil sign. Some said that the children should be abandoned in the forest, but their mother refused. That evening, she took them to the temple of Mother Panther, laid them upon the altar, and beseeched the goddess to save them. Suddenly, Mother Panther materialized before her. The mother fell to her knees and covered her eyes.

Mother Panther is the goddess of passion and seduction. She has the body of a voluptuous woman, the head of a great cat, and a pair of formidable canine teeth. Her skin is dark blue; her lips, black; and her eyes, green. The goddess examined the babies carefully. Their great beauty brought a smile to her lips. She ran her fingers over their little horns and thought for a while. Then she spoke.

"Uncover your eyes, child," she commanded. The mother did as she was told. Pointing to each baby in turn, Mother Panther declared, "You shall name your daughters Caprina, Vatani, and Benadir. When they reach the age of eighteen, I will give them exquisite sexual skills and make them my priestesses. So that they may defend themselves, I will bestow on them powers of perception and healing. One day, they will win the heart of a noble man who will marry them and give them many children."

Tears of gratitude rolled down the mother's face, and she thanked the goddess. Mother Panther smiled and nodded. Then she disappeared.

The mother returned with the babies to her cottage only to discover that her husband was not there. He had been overcome with shame at his daughters' disfigurement and had abandoned the family and moved to another village. But the mother's grief at losing her husband was nullified by the joy that the babies gave her; for they were happy, intelligent, and loving girls.

But they could not avoid the hostility of the local people. One afternoon, when they were twelve years of age, a group of schoolgirls surrounded them in the marketplace and began to taunt them. A large red-haired girl stepped forward, seized Vatani, and threw her down into the dust. "Go away, she-goats!" she shouted. "You are not wanted here!"

Caprina stepped in front of her sister and assessed the bully. Then she said, "You wish to shame us because your own shame is intolerable. Ever since your birth, you have been unable to stop wetting your bed at night." She gestured mysteriously with her hand, and said, "Go home. Beginning tonight, you shall wet your bed no more."

The face of the red-haired girl contorted in rage. She balled up her fists and advanced upon Caprina. But Benadir stepped between her sister and the bully and raised her palm. The red-haired girl stopped, as if frozen in place. Gesturing with her hand, Benadir said, "Calm yourself. There is nothing for you to do here. Go home."

The face of the red-haired girl slowly transformed as the anger that had suffused it seeped away. And as her rage evaporated, so did her crippling shame. Her breathing slowed, the redness disappeared from her face, and she unclenched her fists. The other girls were tongue-tied. For a few moments, they stared at the sisters; then two of them took the red-haired girl by her arms and guided her home.

That evening, three witches appeared at the door of the mother's cottage. Respectfully, she greeted the strangers and invited them in. When she told them what had happened in the marketplace, the witches produced three ensembles of traditional desert clothing made of black fabric, which, among desert people, is held to be the most modest of colors. Each consisted of soft leather sandals, an abaya, and a headdress. The latter, which comprised a hijab, a cap, and a niqab, would hide the girls' curling, pink horns; for typically, it was when people saw them that trouble ensued. Then the witches bowed and departed.

When the sisters reached the age of eighteen, the witches returned to teach the girls the skills that they would need in order to fulfill their roles as priestesses. So that the siblings could array themselves in a way pleasing to men, the witches gave them erotic costumes and masks made of the finest silks and linens. Then they instructed them in the sacred sexual rites that they were to practice upon pilgrims who came to the temple. Within a few months, the siblings completed their education, and the witches escorted them to the temple for consecration. At the climax of the ceremony, in order to identify them as her priestesses, Mother Panther caused their hair to turn light blue. When the sacred rites had been completed, the witches embraced the sisters and then departed.

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A few days later, the entire region was subjected to a powerful thunderstorm that inundated it with heavy rain. In the evening, a man appeared at the temple entrance and walked inside.

After a moment's hesitation, he approached the altar, kneeled, and bowed his head. Unbeknownst to him, the sisters were standing in the shadows of the sacristy. Because of their black coverings, they were virtually invisible. Caprina, who was the wisest of them, asked, "What brings you to Mother Panther's temple?" Her seemingly disembodied voice startled the man; but he quickly regained his composure.

The man said that one year earlier, his wife had become so ill that she was unable to satisfy his sexual needs. While attending to her care, he had remained faithful. But recently, he had been overcome with lust. He wanted neither to have an affair, nor to resort to a prostitute, nor to masturbate incessantly, and he had come to the temple in order to ask Mother Panther to grant him relief. Caprina whispered to her sisters, instructing them to remain hidden so that they could observe. Then she emerged from the shadows and stood before the petitioner.

"You are welcome here," she said. "Oh! But your clothes are soaked! Come with me and stand by the fire."

The man arose and, accompanied by Caprina, crossed the sacristy and stood before the fireplace. The flames in the hearth cast a comforting warmth. Methodically, Caprina removed his clothing and dried him with a towel. "Now return with me to the sacristy," she said. The man did as he was told. "Sit upon the altar." Obediently, he lifted himself onto the huge marble table, allowing his legs to dangle over the edge. "Open your thighs, dear one." The man complied.

Caprina removed her headdress, untied the bow at her neck, and allowed her abaya to slide down her body and onto the floor, revealing her ritual costume. It was blue in color and consisted of a loincloth, long stockings and gloves, and an oval mask that reached from the tip of her nose to the middle of her forehead. Protruding through her hair were two curling horns.

At the sight of her near-naked body, the petitioner drew in his breath. Caprina smiled. She slid her hands up her abdomen and onto her breasts and caressed her nipples until they blushed and hardened. The man reached down and began to stroke his penis.

Caprina removed her gloves. From a drawer in the altar, she withdrew a carafe filled with scented oil. "Before we begin," she explained, "I must anoint your body." She unstoppered the bottle, poured a generous amount of its contents onto her palm, and rubbed her hands together. Then she massaged his body, beginning at his neck and working downward, until she was kneeling between his parted thighs. "And now for the most sacred parts of all," she said. She cupped her fingers under his testicles and stroked them sensuously. The man's body shivered at her touch. He grasped the front edge of the altar, raised his face, and shut his eyes. His scrotum contracted until his testicles were pressed against his groin. His penis engorged and stood upright, pulsing in anticipation.

Caprina wrapped her hand around his shaft and masturbated him slowly. His mouth opened wide in amazement. She pressed her nose against the tip of his penis and whispered, "Little man, are you at home tonight?" The shape of the petitioner's glans transformed into that of a human head. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I am so glad to see you!." With the index finger of her free hand, she stroked his meatus. "Open your mouth, dearest, and tell me your fondest desire." As his meatus widened, Caprina turned her head and listened. Abruptly, she raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, "Oh! That is very naughty! But it is also very nice."

She wrapped both hands around his shaft and twisted them slowly in opposite directions. Then she clamped her mouth around his glans, grasped his hips, and slid her lips all the way down until they were brushing his pubic hairs. His eyes flew open, and, as his penis convulsed in her throat and filled it with semen, he bellowed in ecstasy.

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As the years passed, from time to time, a villager would bring them an injured child or a sick elder and ask for their help. Invariably, the sisters perceived what was wrong and healed them. As a result, they grew to occupy an honored place in the community. But no woman would befriend them and no man would marry them. When their mother died, the girls purchased a plot of land and a cottage on the edge of the great western forest. There, for a time, they lived in peace.

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In order to sustain themselves, the villagers raised crops and hunted. But that year, the kingdom suffered a prolonged drought that drove away the local animals. So the men had to travel farther in order to find game. One day, a townsman wandered into a remote part of the forest. After a brief search, he discovered the hoofprints of a duiker and began to follow them. Just then, the largest, ugliest man that he had ever seen stepped out from among the trees and blocked his passage.

"Who are you who have come into my land?" he demanded in a booming voice. The hairy giant was an imposing figure. Thick muscles bulged under his clothing. His hands were huge, as were his thighs and feet. Suspended from his belt was a magnificent sword. Its handle was trimmed with gold and its pommel inset with an emerald. How, the hunter wondered, had such a rough man acquired so fine a weapon?

Hearing no reply, the ugly man drew his sword and menaced him. The townsman dropped his bow and raised his hands. "I mean you no harm, sir. I come from a village far to the east and have been hunting game for my family."

The ugly man bellowed, "No one before you has ever disturbed me. How is it, then, that I have never seen any of your people?"

The townsman replied, "Sir, we have never had to come this far. Because of the drought, there no longer are any animals nearby. My children are hungry. Please, allow me to take one antelope so that I can feed them."

The ogre shouted. "This land was given to me by the king of my homeland, to be used exclusively by me in perpetuity. You have no rights here. I do not know you and have no desire to trade with the world of men ever again. Turn back and find game elsewhere. And tell your kinfolk never to come this way!"

The townsman nodded affirmatively. Slowly, he kneeled and retrieved his bow and backed away until he could see the ugly man no longer. Then he turned and walked hastily back to the village. When he arrived, he told his neighbors what had happened. They were terrified, for the animals in the distant forest had been their last hope.

The villagers argued long into the night. Eventually, the women retired in order to put their children to bed. When they had gone, one of the men said, "We have no choice. A group of us must steal into the ogre's forest and kill him. Then we can appropriate his land and feed our families."

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Two days later, the sisters sensed someone approaching. A few moments later they heard a knock. Benadir waved her hand and the door swung open. A stocky young woman lurched inside. She was breathing hard, as if she had just run a great distance. Caprina and Vatani helped her to a seat by the fireplace, where she sat for a few moments, catching her breath. The sisters drew up chairs and sat in a semicircle before her. At last she spoke.

"Honored ones, a terrible thing has befallen us. Eight of our men lie injured and dying in the great western woods. Yesterday morning, they departed from the village, saying they were going off to hunt. When night came and they had not returned, I was worried about my husband. So this morning, I left the village and searched for him. Very late in the day, it occurred to me that they might have entered the ogre's land. So I went into the forest. Immediately, I heard moaning in the distance and soon came upon a clearing that was strewn with weapons and blood. There had been a tremendous struggle and all of the men were lying on the grass severely injured. I found my husband, sat down beside him, and held his head in my lap. He confessed that their true purpose had been to murder the ogre so that they could hunt on his land.

"But the ogre had heard them approaching and had attacked them furiously. He is very large, very strong, and very vicious. He clashed with them singly and in groups. The fighting was too confined to use arrows, so the men drew swords and axes. But the ogre possessed a marvelous sword, which he wielded with great skill. Before long, all of the men lay bleeding on the ground. One by one, the ogre disarmed them, picked them up, and broke all of their fingers. Then he left them there, howling in pain, to die of exposure or succumb to predators during the night.

"Honored ones, there are no men remaining in the village who are young and strong enough to provide for us. I cannot carry my husband home, and I am afraid that he and the others will die before daybreak tomorrow." Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto her lap. "I once grievously insulted you. For this, I am ashamed and ask your forgiveness."

But the sisters had already recognized her as the red-haired girl who had taunted and bullied them so many years before. "There is no need," replied Caprina. "We must all act quickly if the men are to be saved. Return to the village, gather the wives of the hunters, and bring them here." The red-haired woman nodded in affirmation and departed. The sisters arose, walked outside, and began to sing in a strange language. Shortly, they heard the snapping of twigs and the fluttering of birds. Then a huge buffalo stepped out of the undergrowth, followed by seven others. They stopped before the sisters and lowered their heads. The women stroked their backs until the hunters' wives appeared.

"Our brothers, the buffalo, will accompany you into the forest," said Caprina. "They will carry your men back to the village. My sisters will go ahead of you and prepare a place where they can minister to them when they arrive. Go quickly." The women did as she instructed. The three sisters donned their black headdresses and abayas. Caprina hugged Vatani and Benadir and dispatched them to the village. Then she made her way to the temple and approached the altar. Opening a door that was inset in the marble face, she removed a vial that contained a blue liquid. She kneeled upon the floor and opened the bottle. Raising her niqab, she quickly swallowed all of the liquid. Immediately, she fell into a deep sleep.

When Caprina awakened, she found herself in an enormous chamber. In its center stood a gigantic ornate bed with a tall canopy from which rich tapestries were hung. Lavishly decorated pillows leaned against a large headboard fashioned entirely of gold. Supine and naked upon the mattress, his head resting on a giant pillow, his legs spread apart, was Father Crocodile. His scaly green skin scintillated in the soft light as his body bobbed up and down. Lying prone between his legs was the dark blue body of Mother Panther. Her mouth was clamped around Father Crocodile's enormous penis, and her hands were cupped under his testicles, caressing them. She was fellating him intensely. As she rhythmically raised and lowered her head, the mattress surged up and down beneath them.

Realizing where she was, Caprina kneeled upon the carpet and tried to avert her eyes. But she was unable to do so. The sight of the large bodies of two heavenly beings, furiously engaged in the act of love, mesmerized her.

Suddenly, Mother Panther's eyes widened. Quickly, she withdrew Father Crocodile's penis from her mouth, angled it upward, and masturbated it vigorously. Bellowing in a thundering voice, Father Crocodile spurted an immense plume of semen. It thwacked against the ceiling, burst open, and released hundreds of baby cobras who wriggled energetically down the walls and out through the windows.

When Father Crocodile had finished ejaculating, Mother Panther arose and turned to face Caprina. Smiling warmly, she made a lifting motion with her hand that caused Caprina to rise off the floor. With a beckoning gesture, she brought her forward until she was floating a short distance in front of her. Then she lowered her onto the carpet. Father Crocodile fixed his eyes upon Caprina and hungrily lashed his tongue back and forth.

"My dear Caprina," said Mother Panther, "you and your sisters have served honorably as my priestesses. You have healed and brought happiness to many, and today, you have saved the lives of eight men. Your story will be widely known and frequently retold. Until today, the gods have jealously guarded all of their powers. But because of your devotion and faithfulness, henceforth, you and your sisters shall have the power of levitation."

Then Mother Panther's brow wrinkled. "However," she said, "for the present, the ogre remains a threat and must be dealt with. Have no fear of him. I will strengthen you. But that will not suffice; in order to succeed, you also will need to make good use of your talents of perception and discernment. The fate of all is in your hands.

"Rise now and receive my blessing." Obediently, Caprina stood with her head devoutly bowed. Mother Panther placed her hands upon her head. Instantly, Caprina was suffused with a most exhilarating sensation. When Mother Panther withdrew her hands, the feeling subsided, but her body remained charged with energy.

"Go now. The men are safely back in their village. Their wives and your sisters are attending to them." Mother Panther waved her hand, and abruptly, Caprina awoke.

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