What's the deal with the goat?

A popular Arab and Ethiopian legend tell of a young goatherd named Kaldi and his herd of mischievous goats.

One morning, Kaldi found his wandering goats dancing beneath the forest canopy. At first Kaldi thought that the goats must be bewitched! He then noticed that some of the goats were munching on the leaves and red cherries of a mysterious tree. Hesitantly, young Kaldi approached the tree and plucked a cherry. He sniffed and cautiously brought the cherry to his mouth. Mildly sweet, Kaldi thought this was no poison, and as the goats seemed to be in fine form... He popped a few of the cherries into his mouth. Soon, his body began to tingle and the next thing he knew he was dancing alongside his goats.

Exhilarated, he collected some cherries and brought them to the village imam, or holy man. After hearing Kaldi’s tale, the imam wanted to try an experiment. He placed the cherries into a pot and boiled them in water. Upon drinking the concoction, the monk became alert and lively. So much so that remaining attentive throughout evening prayers was uncharacteristically effortless. He decided to share the brew with his fellow monks who were having similar trouble maintaining alertness at the evening prayers.

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