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In a hidden corner of the forest lived a mother goat and her seven little goats. Each had a personality of her own, but all were cheerful, playful and very close. Their mother cared for them lovingly and always tried to keep them safe.
Before going out to graze, she gathered them together to remind them about a cunning wolf who prowled nearby.
“Keep the door shut while I am away,” she said. “When I come home, I shall sing our song so you know it is your mother.”
One day the wolf overheard her from his hiding place and decided to use her words. He went to the house, knocked on the door and tried to copy her song. The little goats were unsure, but the youngest asked to check who was outside.
When the visitor showed a black paw, she cried:
“That is not Mother’s hoof! It’s the wolf!”
Angry that his trick had failed, the wolf went to the mill and covered his paws in flour. He returned to the house, showed his white paws and sang again. The sisters began to believe him, but the youngest asked him to speak. His rough voice gave him away once more.
The wolf thought of another plan. He went to an inn and ate eggs until, in this fairy tale, his voice became softer. Then he returned with his paws still covered in flour and sang in a much gentler voice.
This time the little goats believed him and opened the door. The wolf rushed inside and swallowed them one after another, except for the youngest, who hid behind the clock. When the wolf left, the house fell silent and she stayed trembling in her hiding place.
Mother goat’s clever rescue
When their mother returned, she sang her song and went inside. She was frightened to find the house in such a mess. The youngest came out in tears and explained what had happened. Mother and daughter decided to act at once to rescue the others.
They took a basket and a sewing kit and headed towards the river, where the wolf usually rested after his meals. On the way they gathered stones until the basket was full. They found him fast asleep beneath a tree.
Very carefully, Mother goat opened his belly. One by one, her daughters climbed out, frightened but unharmed, as sometimes happens in fairy tales. She replaced their weight with stones and sewed the wolf’s belly shut without waking him. Then they hid and waited.
When the wolf woke, he felt terribly thirsty and strangely heavy. He went to the river for a drink, leaned too far forward and was dragged into the water by the stones. The wolf sank and could no longer harm them.
Mother goat and her seven daughters went home, tidied the house and hugged one another with relief. They had been badly frightened, and from then on they took even greater care before opening the door.
So ends this classic fairy tale, in which love and clever thinking help a family overcome danger. And that is the end of our story.
