_One must be on the lookout for deception, and not be misled by the
words of pretended friends._
Once there was a little goat with white hair all over him like his
mother. That was why he was called Snowflake. His mother stayed at
home when he was a baby and taught him many things a little goat
should know. But one night his mother had to go off on a visit. She
barred all the doors and windows, and said:
“Now, Snowflake, if any one comes to the door and knocks be sure
not to open it unless he says, ‘Little bird, little bird, up in a
tree; little goat, little goat, open to me.’”
The mother then went away.
All this time Mr. Wolf was hiding just outside, and when the mother
was well out of sight he thought he would like a nice supper of fat
young goat. So he went to the door and knocked.
“Who’s there?” said Snowflake. The old wolf said:
“Little bird, little bird, up in a tree; little goat, little goat,
open to me.” But the wolf’s voice was not like his mother’s voice,
and so Snowflake, to be sure, said:
“Let me see your foot.” Then the wolf put his foot through a crack
in the door. But Snowflake said:
“Go away! my mother’s foot is white and yours is black.” So the
wolf went away growling. Then the wolf got some flour and put it on
his foot and came back and knocked at the door.
“Who’s there?” asked Snowflake. The old wolf said:
“Little bird, little bird, up in a tree; little goat, little goat,
open to me.” But Snowflake did not like the voice and again said:
“Let me see your foot,” and the wolf put his flour covered foot
through the crack in the door.
Snowflake looked at it and said:
“My mother’s foot is hard and yours is soft like paws. Go away from
here!” The old wolf went away growling. He was getting very hungry
by this time. At last he went back to the door and knocked. Again
Snowflake asked: “Who’s there?” And the wolf said the same words.
“Let me see your foot,” said Snowflake. This time the wolf stuck
his soft tail through the crack. Snowflake saw it was not his
mother’s foot, so he grabbed the wolf’s tail and tied a knot in it.
Now the old wolf was caught and could not pull his tail out nor get
away.
When the mother came back she butted the old wolf so hard that she
split the door so that his tail untied, and he was glad to go away
from that goat’s house, and never come back.