On a peaceful Saturday morning in the village of eMpumeleweni, the sun rises as nature awakens. Mbali steps out of her home and greets her neighbor, Namkoneni, who asks for assistance with counting their three goats. Proudly, Mbali begins to count: "One..." and "Two..." However, she realizes something is amiss as she can only see two goats, prompting her to call out to Namkoneni for help.

Bafunani was a unique goat known for his playful and mischievous behavior, often following villagers and eating forbidden items. Recently, he was found chewing an old basket, leading to an exclamation from Namkoneni. However, Bafunani has now gone missing, prompting Mbali and Namkoneni to search for him. Despite checking various locations—behind the shelter, under a tree, and near the kitchen—they find no sign of him. Concerned he may have wandered into the garden, where he tends to eat young vegetables, they proceed to investigate further. During their search, Mbali notices small hoofprints in the soft soil, suggesting Bafunani's presence in the area.

Mbali, a budding detective, discovers fresh footprints and follows them with her mentor Namkoneni. They trace the tracks past a vegetable garden to a fig tree, but the trail abruptly vanishes, leaving Mbali puzzled. Namkoneni encourages her to find a new clue, prompting them to search the area. Eventually, Mbali spots a white piece of cloth snagged on a bush, which Namkoneni identifies as part of her old scarf, leading them to conclude that Bafunani must have passed by that location.

They followed the broken branch to a large fig tree, where Mbali heard a strange sound described as "crunch... crunch... crunch." She alerted Namkoneni, and they approached the tree quietly. Suddenly, they heard a loud "BAAAAA!" that startled Mbali. It was Bafunani, who was trapped on the other side of a small wooden fence next to a basket that resembled Namkoneni's. Bafunani had managed to squeeze through a gap in the fence but was now stuck, prompting Namkoneni's dismayed response.

Mbali wanted to rescue Bafunani but was urged to be cautious by Namkoneni to avoid frightening him. They sought a safe way to extract Bafunani when they were approached by Sipho and Lindiwe, who informed them that they had found Bafunani but he was stuck behind a fence. Sipho suggested they might be able to open the fence, and Namkoneni agreed, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in their effort to free Bafunani.

The children were trying to find a safe way to open a small gate, with Sipho holding it while Lindiwe moved a branch. Mbali encouraged Bafunani to come, but he was hesitant. Namkoneni then cleverly used some leaves to entice him, prompting Bafunani to take steps forward until he finally walked through the gate. Their successful teamwork resulted in cheers from everyone.

Mbali recalled the situation from that morning where she and Namkoneni started with three goats but initially noticed only two were present. Upon calculating, she concluded that one goat was missing. However, she joyfully confirmed that all three goats had returned after counting them carefully, ensuring they were indeed back to three.

In "The Surprise," Lindiwe draws attention to a basket containing vegetables, leading to a counting exercise by Mbali, who identifies four carrots and three tomatoes, totaling seven vegetables. Namkoneni praises Mbali for her correct addition. The story ends humorously as they turn to Bafunani for the source of the vegetables, to which Bafunani responds with a simple "Baaa," eliciting laughter from everyone.