The Clever Goat and the Wolf

 The Clever Goat and the Wolf

Once upon a time, in a cozy little house at the edge of the forest, there lived a mother goat with her seven little kids. They were a happy family, always playing together in the sunny meadow and nibbling on the fresh green grass. The mother goat loved her children dearly and always took care of them.

One morning, before heading into the forest to find food, the mother goat gathered her seven kids and said, "My dear children, I have to go into the forest to get some food. While I'm gone, be very careful. The wolf is lurking around, and he would love to catch you. Keep him out of the house if he approaches the door! You’ll know it's him because his voice is gruff and his feet are dark and dirty. When I return, I’ll say, 'It's your mother, my dear ones.' And you’ll hear my soft voice and see my white feet."
The kids nodded, promising to remember their mother’s words. With that, the mother goat kissed each of her children goodbye and went off into the forest.
A little while later, the door was knocked on. "It's your mother, my dear ones," came a voice from outside.
But the voice was rough and scratchy, and the kids knew right away it wasn’t their mother. "You’re not our mother!" they shouted. "Her voice is soft and sweet. You must be the wolf!"
The wolf, frustrated, walked away grumbling. He hadn’t expected the kids to be so clever. But he was determined to get inside. He went to a nearby shop and bought some honey, thinking it would make his voice smoother. After swallowing the honey, he returned to the little house and knocked on the door again.
"It's your mother, my dear ones," he called out, this time in a much softer voice.
The kids were almost fooled, but then the youngest one, who was the cleverest, noticed something. "Show us your feet!" he called out.
The wolf was caught off guard but stuck out one of his paws. The kids saw that it was dark and dirty. "You’re not our mother!" they cried again. "Her feet are white and clean. Go away, you wicked wolf!"
Angry and determined, the wolf stormed off. This time, he went to the baker’s shop. "Give me some dough to spread on my feet," he demanded. Then, he went to the miller. "Cover my feet with white flour," he ordered.
With his feet now looking as white as the mother goat's, the wolf returned to the house. Upon knocking on the door, he said, "It's your mother, my dear ones."
"Show us your feet!" the clever little goat called out again. The wolf stuck out his flour-covered paws, and this time, the kids saw that they were white.
Believing it was truly their mother, the kids unlocked the door. But as soon as the door opened, the wolf burst in. The kids scattered, trying to hide. One hid under the bed, another in the cupboard, the third in the oven, the fourth in the washbasin, the fifth under a barrel, the sixth in a large pot, and the youngest, the clever one, hidden inside the tall grandfather clock.
The wolf searched the house and found six of the kids, one by one. He gobbled them up in a single gulp. But he couldn’t find the seventh, the youngest one. After searching in vain, the wolf finally left the house, feeling very full. He lay down under a tree by the river and soon fell asleep.
Not long after, the mother goat returned home. She saw the door wide open and knew something was wrong. She rushed inside, calling for her children. To her horror, she found the house in disarray, with no sign of six of her little kids. Just as she was about to despair, the youngest kid jumped out of the grandfather clock and told her everything that had happened.
The mother goat was heartbroken, but she didn’t give up. She knew what she had to do. With her youngest by her side, she grabbed a pair of scissors, a needle, and thread and hurried to the riverbank where the wolf was sleeping soundly.
Quietly, she snipped open the wolf's belly and, to her relief, out popped her six kids, unharmed! They had been swallowed whole and were overjoyed to see their mother. The mother goat then filled the wolf's stomach with heavy stones and sewed it back up.
When the wolf woke up, he was thirsty and decided to get a drink from the river. But as he walked, the stones inside him were so heavy that he lost his balance and fell into the river with a great splash. The current swept him away, and he was never seen again.
The mother goat and her seven kids returned home, safe and sound. Feeling happy to be together once more, they gave each other a strong hug. From that day on, they lived happily ever after, always careful to stay safe and always remembering the cleverness of the youngest kid.
The End