Grimm's Household Tales

The Lord God had created all the animals and had picked out the wolf to be his dog, but he had forgotten the goat. Then the Devil got ready and began to create as well, and he created goats with fine long tails. Now when they went to pasture, they usually remained caught in the hedges by their tails, and then the Devil had to go there and disentangle them, with a great deal of trouble. This enraged him at last, and he went and bit off the tail of every goat, as can still be seen today from the stump. Then he let them go to pasture alone, but it happened that the Lord God noticed how at one time they gnawed away at a fruit-bearing tree, at another time injured the noble vines, or destroyed other tender plants. This distressed him, so in his goodness and mercy he summoned his wolves, who soon tore to pieces the goats that went there. When the Devil saw this, he went before the Lord and said, “Your creatures have destroyed mine.” The Lord answered, “Why did you create things to do harm?” The Devil said, “I was compelled to do it: since my thoughts run on evil, what I create can have no other nature, and you must pay me heavy damages.” “I will pay you as soon as the oak leaves fall. Come then, and your money will be counted out and ready.” When the oak leaves had fallen, the Devil came and demanded what was due to him. But the Lord said, “In the church of Constantinople there stands a tall oak tree that still has all its leaves.” With raging and curses, the Devil departed and went to look for the oak. He wandered in the wilderness for six months before he found it, and when he returned, all the oaks had in the meantime covered themselves again with green leaves. Then he had to forfeit his indemnity, and in his rage he put out the eyes of all the remaining goats and put his own in their place.

This is why all goats have devil’s eyes and bitten-off tails, and why the Devil likes to assume their shape.