A Goatherd attempted to bring a stray back to the flock. A last the Goatherd threw a stone which broke the goat’s horn. No way to keep that a secret.
Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
A Goatherd attempted in vain to bring a stray back to the flock. He whistled and blew his horn to no avail. A last the Goatherd threw a stone which hit the goat’s horn and broke it. He begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, “the horn will speak for itself even if I am silent.”
Aesop For Children
A Goat strayed away from the flock, tempted by a patch of clover. The Goatherd tried to call it back, but in vain. It would not obey him. Then he picked up a stone and threw it, breaking the Goat’s horn.
The Goatherd was frightened.
“Do not tell the master,” he begged the Goat.
“No,” said the Goat, “that broken horn can speak for itself!”
Moral
Wicked deeds will not stay hid.
JBR Collection (The Goatherd and The She-Goat)
A Boy, whose business it was to look after some Goats, as night began to fall, gathered them together to lead them home. One of the number, a She-Goat, alone refused to obey his call, and stood on a ledge of a rock, nibbling the herbage that grew there. The Boy lost all patience, and taking up a great stone, threw it at the Goat with all his force. The stone struck one of the horns of the Goat, and broke it off at the middle. The Boy, terrified at what he had done and fearing his master’s anger, threw himself upon his knees before the Goat, and begged her to say nothing about the mishap, alleging that it was far from his intention to aim the stone so well. “Tush!” replied the Goat.” Let my tongue be ever so silent, my horn is sure to tell the tale.”
Townsend version
A Goatherd had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, “Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent.”
Moral
Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
Capra et Caprarius
Capram, aberrantem a grege longius, congregare rursus volebat caprarius. Ut vero, vocibus et fistulae sonitu usus, nihil profecit, misso lapide, et, cornu forte percusso, rogabat ne apud dominum se deferret. At illa “Amentissime,” inquit, “caprarie, cornu sonabit, etiamsi ego taceam.”
Moral
Sic stulti nimis sunt, qui manifesta occultata volunt.
Perry #280