There was once an old Nanny-goat who had seven Kids, and she was just
as fond of them as a mother of her children. One day she was going
into the woods to fetch some food for them, so she called them all up
to her, and said--
'My dear children, I am going out into the woods. Beware of the Wolf!
If once he gets into the house, he will eat you up, skin, and hair,
and all. The rascal often disguises himself, but you will know him by
his rough voice and his black feet.'
The Kids said, 'Oh, we will be very careful, dear mother. You may be
quite happy about us.'
Bleating tenderly, the old Goat went off to her work. Before long,
some one knocked at the door, and cried--
'Open the door, dear children! Your mother has come back and brought
something for each of you.'
But the Kids knew quite well by the voice that it was the Wolf.
'We won't open the door,' they cried. 'You are not our mother. She has
a soft gentle voice; but yours is rough, and we are quite sure that
you are the Wolf.'
So he went away to a shop and bought a lump of chalk, which he ate,
and it made his voice quite soft. He went back, knocked at the door
again, and cried--
'Open the door, dear children. Your mother has come back and brought
something for each of you.'
But the Wolf had put one of his paws on the window sill, where the
Kids saw it, and cried--
'We won't open the door. Our mother has not got a black foot as you
have; you are the Wolf.'
Then the Wolf ran to a Baker, and said, 'I have bruised my foot;
please put some dough on it.' And when the Baker had put some dough on
his foot, he ran to the Miller and said, 'Strew some flour on my
foot.'
The Miller thought, 'The old Wolf is going to take somebody in,' and
refused.