Once upon a time there was a mother goat who lived in a small, cozy house at the edge of a bright green forest. She had seven little kids, and she loved each one of them with all her heart. The kids were lively and playful, and they liked to jump, dance and sing together in their warm home. One morning the mother goat needed to go into the forest to find fresh leaves and sweet grass for her children. She called the seven kids to her and spoke to them kindly but seriously. 'Dear children,' she said, 'I must go out for a little while to get food. You must stay inside and keep the door closed. Do not open the door to anyone except me. Remember, the big bad wolf lives in this forest. If he comes in, he will mean you harm. The wolf has a rough, hoarse voice and big dark paws. You will know it is not me if you hear that voice or see those paws.' The seven kids nodded and answered, 'Do not worry, dear mother. We will stay inside. We will be careful, and we will only open the door to you.' The mother goat kissed each little kid on the head, said good-bye, and went gently into the forest.
The kids watched her go, then closed the door and locked it. For a while they played games, sang small songs and talked together. Before long there was a knock at the door and a voice called, 'Open the door, my dear children. Your mother has come home and has brought something for each of you.' The voice sounded rough and deep. The oldest kid whispered, 'Be careful.' Then he called out, 'We will not open the door. Our mother has a soft, gentle voice. Your voice is rough and hoarse. You must be the wolf!' The wolf, for it was really he, went away grumbling to himself. He had a wicked plan. 'I will change my voice,' he thought, 'and then the silly kids will let me in.' He drank some warm honey tea to make his voice smoother. Then he went back to the little house, knocked on the door and called out in a softer voice, 'Open the door, my dear children. Your mother has come home and has brought something for each of you.' The kids listened carefully. The voice did sound softer now, but the kids remembered what their mother had said. 'Show us your paws,' called one of them. 'Our mother has light, gentle feet.' The wolf put his big dark paws up to the window. When the kids saw his paws, they cried, 'We will not open the door. Our mother does not have big dark paws like that. You are the wolf! Go away!'
The wolf grew angry, but he did not give up. He looked around until he found some white flour near the mill. He rolled his paws in the flour until they looked light instead of dark. Then he went back to the goat's house once more, knocked gently and spoke in a soft voice. 'Open the door, my dear children. Your mother has come home and has brought something for each of you.' The kids looked at each other. The voice sounded soft. When they asked to see the paws, the wolf put up his white-covered feet to the window. The paws looked light now, and the kids thought everything was right. They forgot to be careful and opened the door. In jumped the wolf! When the seven kids saw the big wolf in their house, they were very frightened. They ran in all directions to hide. One little kid hid under the table, another jumped into the bed, the third slipped into the oven when it was cool, the fourth hid behind the curtains in the kitchen, the fifth climbed into a cupboard, the sixth crept under the sink, and the youngest squeezed into the tall clock case.
The wolf wanted to take the kids away, but he did not want to hurt them. He had brought a big, strong sack with him. One by one he picked up the kids he could find, put them gently into the sack and tied it shut. Only the youngest kid stayed hidden in the clock, very still and very quiet, so the wolf did not see him. 'I will take these kids far away,' the wolf said to himself, 'and then their mother will be sad and alone.' Carrying the sack on his back, the wolf went out to a meadow not far from the house. There he put the sack down under a shady tree and, feeling tired, lay beside it and fell fast asleep. After some time the mother goat came home from the forest, carrying a bundle of fresh green leaves. When she reached her house, she saw at once that something was wrong. The door was standing open. The table and chairs were pushed aside, and some dishes were on the floor. Her heart began to beat fast. 'My dear children, where are you?' she called. She called each kid by name, but no one answered.
At last she heard a tiny voice from inside the tall clock. 'Here I am, dear mother,' said the youngest kid. The mother goat quickly opened the clock and lifted her little one out. He threw his small legs around her neck and cried. 'Mother,' he said, 'the wolf came in. He tricked us with a soft voice and light paws. We opened the door, and he rushed into the house. We all tried to hide, but he put my brothers and sisters into a big sack and carried them away.' The mother goat hugged the youngest kid and wiped away his tears. 'Do not be afraid,' she said gently. 'We will find them. Stay close to me.' With the youngest kid by her side, the mother goat went out of the house and soon came to the meadow. There they saw the wolf fast asleep under a tree, with a large sack lying beside him. The sack moved a little from time to time, as if something inside wanted to get out. The mother goat listened carefully and thought, 'My poor children must be inside that sack. They are still alive!' She whispered to her youngest kid, 'Run home quickly and bring me a strong pair of scissors and a long piece of rope.' The little kid ran to the house and soon came back with the scissors and rope in his mouth.
The mother goat took the scissors and, very quietly so as not to wake the wolf, made a small cut in the sack. At once a tiny hoof appeared, then a nose, then the bright eyes of one of her kids. 'Mother,' whispered the kid, 'we are here!' One after another the little goats crept carefully out of the sack until all six were safe on the grass, alive and well. They hugged their mother and their youngest brother, laughing and crying at the same time. 'We were so scared,' they said, 'but now we are safe!' The mother goat comforted them and kissed each one. Then she said, 'We must make sure this naughty wolf cannot take you away again.' She quietly filled the empty sack with big, smooth stones from the meadow so that it felt heavy. Then she tied it tightly with the rope and placed it gently beside the sleeping wolf. When the wolf woke up, the heavy sack pulled him toward the brook. He slipped, tumbled into the shallow water with a splash, and scrambled out wet and muddy. He felt foolish and very cross, and he ran far away into the forest, never to return. The seven kids and their mother danced in a ring with joy. 'The wolf is gone!' they sang. 'We are safe, we are together, and we will always remember to be careful and to listen to our mother.' From that day on, they lived happily and safely in their cozy house at the edge of the forest.
