English Original
The Lord God had created all animals and had chosen the wolf to be his dog, but he had forgotten the goat. Then the Devil began to create as well, and he created goats with fine long tails.
When the goats went to pasture, their tails often got caught in the hedges. The Devil had to go and disentangle them, which was a great deal of trouble. This enraged him, and he went and bit off every goat's tail, leaving only a stump, as can be seen to this day. He then let them graze alone.
However, the Lord God saw that the goats were gnawing at fruitful trees, injuring noble vines, and destroying tender plants. Distressed by this, in his goodness and mercy, he summoned his wolves, who soon tore the goats to pieces.
When the Devil observed this, he went before the Lord and said, "Thy creatures have destroyed mine."
The Lord answered, "Why didst thou create things to do harm?"
The Devil said, "I was compelled to do it. Inasmuch as my thoughts run on evil, what I create can have no other nature, and thou must pay me heavy damages."
"I will pay thee as soon as the oak leaves fall," said the Lord. "Come then; thy money will be ready."
When the oak leaves had fallen, the Devil came to demand his payment. But the Lord said, "In the church of Constantinople stands a tall oak tree which still has all its leaves."
With raging curses, the Devil departed to find that oak. He wandered in the wilderness for six months before finding it. When he returned, all the other oaks had in the meantime covered themselves again with green leaves. Thus, he had to forfeit his indemnity.
In his rage, he put out the eyes of all the remaining goats and put his own eyes in instead.
This is why all goats have devil's eyes and bitten-off tails, and why the Devil likes to assume their shape.
中文翻译
上帝创造了所有动物，并挑选狼作为他的狗，但他忘记了山羊。于是，魔鬼也开始创造，他创造了长着漂亮长尾巴的山羊。
当山羊去牧场吃草时，它们的尾巴常常被树篱缠住。魔鬼不得不去把它们解开，这给他带来了很多麻烦。这最终激怒了他，于是他咬掉了每只山羊的尾巴，只留下一个残根，至今可见。然后，他让山羊独自去吃草。
然而，上帝发现山羊时而啃食结果实的树木，时而伤害高贵的葡萄藤，还毁坏其他娇嫩的植物。这令他感到痛心，出于他的良善与仁慈，他召来了他的狼群，狼群很快就把那里的山羊撕成了碎片。
魔鬼看到这一幕，便来到上帝面前说：“你的造物毁了我的造物。”
上帝回答：“你为何要创造有害之物？”
魔鬼说：“我不得不这样做。既然我的思想充满邪恶，我所创造的也只能具有邪恶的本性，你必须赔偿我重大的损失。”
“等橡树叶落下时，我就付给你，”上帝说，“那时你来，你的钱就准备好了。”
当橡树叶落下时，魔鬼前来索要他的赔偿。但上帝说：“在君士坦丁堡的教堂里，矗立着一棵高大的橡树，它的叶子还都长着呢。”
魔鬼怒骂着离开了，去寻找那棵橡树。他在荒野中游荡了六个月才找到它。当他回来时，所有其他的橡树在此期间又已经长满了绿叶。因此，他不得不放弃他的赔偿。
盛怒之下，他挖出了所有剩余山羊的眼睛，换上了他自己的眼睛。
这就是为什么所有山羊都有魔鬼的眼睛和被咬掉的尾巴，也是为什么魔鬼喜欢化身为山羊的形状。