The wolf and the seven little goats

Brother Grimm

Once upon a time there was a mother goat who had seven little kids. She loved them above all else. One day she was going into the forest to get some food, so she called all seven children to her and said:
“Dear children, I must go to the forest, be careful and beware of the wolf. If he comes here, he will devour you with holes and hair. He will be dressed up, but you will recognize him by his dark voice and black feet.” The goats replied: “Dear mother, we will be fine. You don't have to worry about us.” Then the old mother goat bleated with relief and went off to the forest without worrying.

It wasn't long before someone knocked on the door and called out: "Open the door, dear children, your mother is here and has brought something for you all." But the little goats understood that it was not their mother but the wolf. It was heard on the dark voice. “We will not open the door.” cried the goats, “You are not our mother. She has a soft, pleasant voice. Your voice is dark and gruff. You are the wolf!”
The wolf then went off to a merchant and bought himself a large piece of chalk, which he ate to make his voice brighter. He then went back to the goats' house, knocked on the door and called: "Open the door dear children, your mother is here and has brought something for you all." But he had put one of his black paws on the window. The goats saw it and shouted: "We will not open the door. Our mother doesn't have black feet like you do. You are the wolf!”

The wolf then went to the baker and said: “I have hurt my feet. You might as well put some dough on them.” Then he went on to the miller and said, "Sprinkle some white flour on my feet." The miller thought to himself: "The wolf is going to trick someone." and refused. The wolf then said to the miller: "If you don't do as I say, I will eat you." Then the miller got scared and turned his paws white with the flour.

So now the wicked wolf went to the goats' door for the third time. He knocked and said: "Open the door children, your dear mother has returned home from the forest and has brought something for each of you." The goats then shouted: "Show your feet first so we can see that it is our mother." The wolf then showed his feet in the window. When the goats saw the white feet, they thought he was telling the truth and opened the door. But who came in if not the wolf! They were terrified and wanted to hide. One ran under the table, the second jumped into the bed, the third hid in the oven, the fourth ran into the kitchen, the fifth hid in a cupboard, the sixth hid under the sink and the seventh hid in the large floor clock. However, the wolf found them and showed no mercy but devoured them one goat after another. The youngest who hid in the bell was the only goat that the wolf did not find.

The wolf was now full and satisfied and went his way. He laid down under a tree in the green meadow outside the goats' house and fell asleep. Soon after, the old mother goat came back from the forest. Alas, what a sight met her!
The front door was wide open. Tables, chairs and benches had been knocked over, the wash basin had been smashed, duvets and pillows had been thrown from the beds. She looked for her children, but found them nowhere. She called their names but no one answered until she called the youngest goat's name. Then a small voice said crying: "Dear mother, I am inside the floor clock." She took out the little goat, who then told her that the wolf had come there and eaten all the others. You can imagine how she cried over the poor children.

She went out of the house crying and the little goat ran after her. When they came out into the meadow, they saw the wolf lying snoring under a tree. He snored so loudly that the branches shook. The old mother goat looked closely at the wolf and saw that there was something moving and struggling inside the wolf's belly. "Oh dear," she said, "perhaps my poor little ones, whom he swallowed, are still alive." Then the goat ran home and got scissors, needle and thread. The mother cut open the belly of the wolf and almost before she made the first cut, a little goat jumped out. After a few more clips, all six guys jumped out one by one. They were all still alive and had not been harmed because the wolf in its voraciousness had swallowed them whole. What a happy reunion it was! They all hugged their mother and darted about happily. The mother said to them: "Now go and get some big stones, and we will fill the wretch's stomach with them while he sleeps." The seven goats then hurried to get stones, which they filled the wolf's stomach with. The mother then sewed him back together so quickly that he didn't notice, but continued to sleep.

When the wolf eventually woke up and got to his feet, the stones in his stomach made him very thirsty. He therefore went to the well to drink water, but as he began to walk the stones in his stomach began to move and rattled against each other. He then shouted:
"What's rolling and rattling in my stomach?
I thought there were six little boys,
But now it feels like big rock bumps.”

And when he came to the well and leaned forward to drink, the heavy stones caused him to lose his balance and fall into the water and drown. When the goats saw this, they immediately came running and cried loudly and loudly: “The wolf is dead! The wolf is dead!” They danced for joy around the spring together with their mother.

Then they went home happy knowing that they no longer needed to be afraid of the wolf.