The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats

Once upon a time, there was a mother goat who lived with her seven little kids in a cozy little house near the edge of the woods. She loved her children dearly and cared for them with all her heart.

One day, Mother Goat needed to go into the forest to gather food. She called her seven little goats and said, “My dear children, I have to go into the woods today. But be very careful! The wolf is sneaky, and if he gets in, he will gobble you up in a second. Whatever happens, don’t open the door for anyone unless you hear my voice and see my hooves.”

The little goats nodded seriously, their eyes wide with fear. “Don’t worry, Mama!” they cried. “We will be careful!”

Mother Goat smiled warmly and kissed each of them on the head. Then, she set off into the woods, her heart heavy with worry.

As soon as she was out of sight, the sly wolf, who had been lurking nearby, saw his chance. His mouth watered at the thought of the tasty little goats, and he quickly made his way to their door. Knocking lightly, he called out in a rough voice, “Open the door, my dear children! It is I, your mother, come back with food.”

The little goats froze. The eldest one, who was the wisest, called out, “That’s not our mother! Your voice is too deep! Our mother’s voice is sweet and gentle. Go away, wolf!”

The wolf growled in frustration. “They’re smarter than I thought,” he muttered. Then he had an idea. Rushing off to a nearby shop, he bought a big lump of chalk and ate it. His voice, now soft and high-pitched, sounded just like Mother Goat’s.

With a sly grin, the wolf returned to the door. Knocking again, he said in a sweet voice, “Open the door, my dear children! It’s your mother. I’ve brought you something nice from the forest.”

The little goats listened carefully. “That sounds like Mama,” one of them said.

But the eldest goat was still cautious. “Show us your hooves!” she demanded. “Our mother has white hooves!”

The wolf cursed under his breath. He hadn’t thought about that! Rushing off again, the wolf smeared flour all over his paws to make them look white. Now he was ready.

He knocked for the third time and said sweetly, “My dear children, it’s me, your mother. See, I have white hooves just like you asked.”

This time, when the little goats looked through the crack of the door and saw the white paws, they were convinced. They unlocked the door, eager to greet their mother.

But the moment the door swung open, in leapt the big, bad wolf! His eyes glowed with hunger as he lunged at the little goats. “Gotcha!” he roared.

The little goats screamed in terror and scattered in all directions, trying to hide from the fearsome wolf. One hid under the table, another crawled into the bed, the third climbed into the oven, the fourth squeezed into a cupboard, the fifth slipped under the washbasin, and the sixth jumped into a large pot. But the youngest and smallest of all scrambled into the grandfather clock, pulling the door shut behind him.

The wolf searched the house, overturning furniture and snorting in frustration. One by one, he found the little goats and gobbled them up in a single gulp. “Delicious!” he growled, licking his lips after each one.

But no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find the seventh little goat. Exhausted and with a full belly, the wolf grumbled, “No matter. I’m stuffed anyway.” Then, he lumbered out of the house and into the meadow, where he lay down under a tree to sleep.

A short while later, Mother Goat returned from the forest. She called out, “Children, I’m home!” But to her horror, the house was in disarray. The door was wide open, furniture was overturned, and there was no sign of her children.

“Children? Where are you?” she cried, her heart pounding in fear.

Just then, the youngest goat crawled out of the grandfather clock, trembling but unharmed. “Mama! Mama! The wolf came and ate all my brothers and sisters!” he sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

Mother Goat’s heart broke, but she wiped her tears and hugged her little one tightly. “Don’t worry, my dear. We will find a way.”

Taking the youngest goat with her, she went out to the meadow, where the wolf was fast asleep under the tree. His enormous belly bulged and rumbled from the six goats he had eaten. Mother Goat grabbed a pair of scissors, a needle, and some thread, and very carefully, she cut open the wolf’s belly.

To her relief, out popped her six little goats, alive and well! They were a bit cramped and dazed, but none of them were hurt. They hugged their mother tightly, tears of joy in their eyes.

“Quickly now,” Mother Goat whispered. “Go and fetch some large stones.”

The little goats ran off and returned with heavy stones, which they placed inside the wolf’s belly. Then, Mother Goat sewed the belly back up so neatly that the wolf didn’t even notice.

When the wolf finally woke up, he stretched and yawned, feeling strangely heavy. “What’s wrong with me?” he muttered, stumbling to his feet. “I’m so thirsty.”

He lumbered over to the well to drink some water, but as he bent over the edge, the weight of the stones pulled him down. With a loud splash, the wolf fell into the well and drowned.

The seven little goats and their mother cheered with joy. They had outsmarted the wicked wolf, and from that day on, they lived happily ever after, never letting another stranger inside their house.