A long time ago, a Mama Goat had seven little kids. She loved them and protected them from all possible danger.
One day, she had to go out to get some food, so she called the kids and warned them to be careful and alert. “There’s a big bad wolf around,” she explained, “He has a gruff voice and huge feet. If you see anyone like that, you’ll recognize him, even if he tries to disguise himself, because he won’t be able to cover up his voice or his feet. So beware, my little ones. I’ll be back soon.”
The kids assured her that they would be very, very cautious. She picked up her basket and went off.
That wolf had been waiting for an opportunity. Mama Goat had gone leaving the seven little kids. “Now I’ll get them!” he thought. He was happy in his heart of hearts.
He went up to the door after a while and knocked at it. “Who’s there?” asked the kids.
“Your mother, dear,” said the wolf, “Open the door. I’ve brought something for you to eat.”
The eldest called back, “We know you’re not our mother! Your voice is too gruff! Go away!”
The wolf went away for a while. Then he came back and tried to push his paw into one of the windows. This time, he spoke very softly, “Come now, children; open the door. Look what I’ve brought for you to eat.”
But the kids had seen the dark big paw of the wolf. They called out, “We know you are the wolf. She doesn’t have big paws like you.”
The wolf went to the bakery in the village and, when the baker was busy, quickly pushed his paws into the sack of flour. When he pulled them out, they were white!
Back he went to the cottage and knocked at the door.
“Who’s there?” asked the kids. The wolf spoke very softly and waved a white paw near the window. So, the kids were sure it was their mother. They opened the door and were stunned to see the wolf standing there.
They scattered to hide. One dived under the table, another into the bed, one rushed to the stove, and a fourth fled to the kitchen, one went into a cupboard, and yet another hid behind the washing bowl. The seventh one hid inside the grandfather’s clock.
But the wolf had seen all of them. One by one, he chased them and ate them all up, except the kid who was hiding in the clock, shivering with fright! The wolf felt so full that he went and stretched out under a tree. Soon he was asleep, snoring after such a great meal!
In a little while, Mama Goat returned and was surprised to see the door lying open. Fearing for her kids, she rushed in and was horrified to see the chaos inside her cottage. The washing bowl was broken. The table cloth had been dragged off and plates and cups smashed. Tables and chairs lay toppled. The kitchen and the rooms were in turmoil.
She ran through the house, calling the kids. But there was no sign of them. Then a slight noise took her to the grandfathers clock and she found the youngest kid cowering inside it. Hugging him, she asked him what had happened in her absence.
Mama Goat wept holding her little kid. Then, with the kid following, she went looking for the wolf. She found him asleep under the tree outside. She noticed that something was jiggling inside his stomach.
Suddenly, she felt hopeful. “Perhaps my kids are still alive inside him!” she thought. She whispered to her little kid to fetch a pair of scissors, a needle and thread. The kid raced off and brought what she asked for.
Very gently, without disturbing the sleeping wolf, she cut open his stomach. Out jumped the six kids! The wolf had simply gobbled them up in his greed. So fortunately, they were whole.
Mama Goat stuffed stones into the wolf’s stomach and stitched it up again. Then she sent her kids quickly into the cottage. They all watched from the window.
The wolf woke up after a while and stretched himself. There was a loud rattle from the stones inside him. He was also very thirsty after the meal and his long sleep. So, he went up to the well for a drink of water, the stones rattling all the way.
He leaned over into the well for a drink and over-balanced. The stones were heavy and their weight dragged him down, till he was drowned!
The seven kids were delighted and lived happily with their mother thereafter.
