The wolf and the seven young kids – Brothers Grimm
Once upon a time, in a world filled with wonder, there lived an old goat who had seven little ones. She loved them dearly, as much as any mother could love her children. One day, she had to venture into the enchanted forest to gather food for her little ones, so she gathered them around her. “My dear children,” she said gently, “I must go into the forest to find food for us. While I am away, be on your guard against the cunning wolf, for if he were to slip inside our home, he would devour you all – skin, bones, and all. He is a master of disguise, but you can always recognize him by his hoarse voice and black paws.” Her children nodded solemnly. “Fear not, Mother,” they replied in unison, “we shall take great care of ourselves.” The mother goat bleated her farewell and set off into the forest, her heart untroubled.
It wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door. “Open up, my dear children,” a voice croaked, “your mother has returned and brought each of you a gift.” But the little ones recognized the wolf’s hoarse voice and refused to open the door. “You are not our mother,” they declared, “her voice is gentle and sweet, while yours is rough and hoarse. You must be the wolf!” Frustrated, the wolf went to a nearby shop and purchased a large piece of chalk, which he swallowed to soften his voice. He returned to the house, knocked on the door again, and called out, “Open the door, my dear children. Your mother is here and has brought each of you a gift.” But the cunning wolf had placed his black paws against the window, and the little ones saw them. “We will not open the door; our mother has no black paws like you. You must be the wolf!”
Determined, the wolf visited a baker and requested dough to cover his black paws. Then, he went to a miller and asked for white flour to be sprinkled over the dough. Initially, the miller refused, suspecting the wolf’s sinister intentions. However, the wolf threatened to eat the miller, who, frightened, complied. This, sadly, is a reflection of human nature.
The wolf, now in his final disguise, approached the door for the third time. “Open up, children,” he coaxed, “your dear mother has returned and has brought you gifts from the forest.” The little ones, cautious, asked to see his paws. The wolf placed them against the window, and when the children saw they were white, they believed him and opened the door. As the wolf entered, they realized their mistake and tried to hide. One hid under the table, another in the bed, a third in the oven, a fourth in the kitchen, a fifth in the cupboard, a sixth under the sink, and the last in the clock case. The wolf found them all except the youngest and swallowed them whole.
Satisfied, the wolf retreated to a meadow, where he fell asleep under a tree. Before long, the mother goat returned from the forest to find her home in disarray. She called for her children, but only the youngest, hidden in the clock case, responded. As she listened to his account of the wolf’s deception, her heart ached for her lost children.
Driven by grief, the mother goat and her youngest child went into the meadow and found the wolf, snoring loudly beneath a tree. As she examined him, she noticed something moving and struggling inside him. Could her children still be alive? She sent her little one to fetch scissors, a needle, and thread from their home. With great care, she cut open the wolf’s body, and as she made the first incision, one of the children’s heads emerged. With each cut, her little ones leaped out one by one, all six of them alive and well, for the wolf had swallowed them whole in his haste. Overjoyed, the mother goat hugged her children tightly as they danced and celebrated their reunion.
“Now, my dear ones,” the mother goat said, “gather some strong, heavy stones. We shall fill the wolf’s body with them while he still sleeps.” The children quickly collected the stones and placed them inside the wolf’s body. Their mother then sewed him up so skillfully that he remained oblivious to their actions.
When the wolf finally awoke, parched from the weight of the stones inside him, he dragged himself to a nearby brook for a drink. As he walked, the stones clattered within him. He cried out:
“What is this I feel inside me,
Knocking hard against my bones?
How could such a thing betide me!
They were kids, and now they’re stones.”
As the wolf bent down to drink from the brook, the weight of the stones pulled him in, and he drowned. The seven little goats, witnessing the scene, rejoiced and cried, “The wolf is dead! The wolf is dead!” Hand in hand, they danced with their mother around the meadow, celebrating their victory over the cunning wolf and the magic of their enchanted world.
What principles and lessons can be learned from the above stories?
1. The importance of listening to and trusting one’s parents or guardians: The mother goat warns her children about the dangers of the wolf, but they let their guard down and open the door to him. By heeding their mother’s advice, they could have prevented the wolf from entering their home.
2. The power of cunning and deception: The wolf uses his intelligence and resourcefulness to deceive the kids by altering his appearance and voice. This serves as a reminder to be cautious and not to judge a situation or person solely by external appearances.
3. The value of unity and teamwork: When the mother goat and her children work together, they manage to defeat the wolf and save themselves. This illustrates the importance of collaboration and supporting one another in times of crisis.
4. The consequences of greed and overconfidence: The wolf’s greed leads him to swallow the kids whole, which ultimately allows them to be rescued. His overconfidence in his deception and his lack of awareness of the mother goat’s actions lead to his downfall.
5. The power of resourcefulness and resilience: The mother goat and her youngest child demonstrate resourcefulness and resilience by devising a plan to save the other kids and exacting their revenge on the wolf.
6. The importance of second chances and redemption: Despite their initial mistake, the little goats are given a second chance, and they learn from their experience, becoming wiser and more cautious in the future.
