Structure

The short story “A Horse and Two Goats” by R. K. Narayan has a chronological structure and follows the encounter between an American tourist and an Indian man named Muni. 

The beginning of the story introduces the two statues that guard the entrance of the village Kiritam: “The horse reared his head proudly, prancing, with his forelegs in the air and his tail looped up with a flourish. Beside the horse stood a warrior with scythe-like moustaches, bulging eyes, and an aquiline nose” (p. 184, ll. 9-11). The reference to the statues is also a foreshadowing moment that hints at the American’s interest in one of them. 

After the narrative introduces the two main characters – the American and Muni– a good part of the story presents their exchange. While they think they communicate with each other, they cannot understand each other’s language. Consequently, their exchange has a comic effect. 

In a flashback, Muni tries to tell the story of the horse statue: “ ‘I was an urchin of this height when I heard my grandfather explain this horse and warrior, and my grandfather himself was of this height when he heard his grandfather, whose grandfather…’ ” (p. 186, ll. 5-8). 

The story ends with an anti-climax that has a comic effect. The old man thinks the American wants to buy his goats, while the American thinks the old man is going to find someone to help him load the horse statue in his car: “ ‘He must be gone to fetch some help,’ he remarked, and settled down to wait” (p. 188, ll. 25-26). 

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