The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids

Author: Brothers Grimm

Age3–7
Reading time9 min
LevelBeginner

Introduction

This story is the twin of Little Red Riding Hood: the same wolf swallows his victims alive, the same rescue by cutting open his belly, and the same trick of filling him with stones so that he drowns. In fact, the Brothers Grimm borrowed this very 'stones in the belly' ending and gave it to Little Red Riding Hood. It is one of the oldest and most direct 'safety lessons' in all of fairy tales, repeating one message: do not open the door to a stranger. Watch how the wolf upgrades his disguise: when the kids hear his rough voice he eats chalk to soften it; when they see his black paws he forces a baker and a miller to make them white. A villain will do anything to seem trustworthy — both voice and appearance can be faked. (In English, a 'kid' first meant a baby goat.) Afterward, practise with your child: if someone knocks saying 'It's your mother,' how would you check?

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There was once an old goat who had seven little ones, and was as fond of them as ever mother was of her children. One day she had to go into the wood to fetch food for them, so she called them all round her. "Dear children," said she, "I am going out into the wood; and while I am gone, be on your guard against the wolf, for if he were once to get inside he would eat you up, skin, bones, and all. The wretch often disguises himself, but he may always be known by his hoarse voice and black paws." - "Dear mother," answered the kids, "you need not be afraid, we will take good care of ourselves." And the mother bleated good-bye, and went on her way with an easy mind.

It was not long before some one came knocking at the house-door, and crying out: "Open the door, my dear children, your mother is come back, and has brought each of you something." But the little kids knew it was the wolf by the hoarse voice. "We will not open the door," cried they; "you are not our mother, she has a delicate and sweet voice, and your voice is hoarse; you must be the wolf."

Then off went the wolf to a shop and bought a big lump of chalk, and ate it up to make his voice soft. And then he came back, knocked at the house-door, and cried: "Open the door, my dear children, your mother is here, and has brought each of you something." But the wolf had put up his black paws against the window, and the kids seeing this, cried out, "We will not open the door; our mother has no black paws like you; you must be the wolf."

The wolf then ran to a baker. "Baker," said he, "I am hurt in the foot; pray spread some dough over the place." And when the baker had plastered his feet, he ran to the miller. "Miller," said he, "strew me some white meal over my paws." But the miller refused, thinking the wolf must be meaning harm to some one. "If you don't do it," cried the wolf, "I'll eat you up!" And the miller was afraid and did as he was told. And that just shows what men are.

And now came the rogue the third time to the door and knocked. "Open, children!" cried he. "Your dear mother has come home, and brought you each something from the wood." - "First show us your paws," said the kids, "so that we may know if you are really our mother or not." And he put up his paws against the window, and when they saw that they were white, all seemed right, and they opened the door. And when he was inside they saw it was the wolf, and they were terrified and tried to hide themselves. One ran under the table, the second got into the bed, the third into the oven, the fourth in the kitchen, the fifth in the cupboard, the sixth under the sink, the seventh in the clock-case.

But the wolf found them all, and gave them short shrift; one after the other he swallowed down, all but the youngest, who was hid in the clock-case. And so the wolf, having got what he wanted, strolled forth into the green meadows, and laying himself down under a tree, he fell asleep.

Not long after, the mother goat came back from the wood; and, oh! what a sight met her eyes! the door was standing wide open, table, chairs, and stools, all thrown about, dishes broken, quilt and pillows torn off the bed. She sought her children, they were nowhere to be found. She called to each of them by name, but nobody answered, until she came to the name of the youngest. "Here I am, mother," a little voice cried, "here, in the clock case."

And so she helped him out, and heard how the wolf had come, and eaten all the rest. And you may think how she cried for the loss of her dear children.

At last in her grief she wandered out of doors, and the youngest kid with her; and when they came into the meadow, there they saw the wolf lying under a tree, and snoring so that the branches shook. The mother goat looked at him carefully on all sides and she noticed how something inside his body was moving and struggling. Dear me! thought she, can it be that my poor children that he devoured for his evening meal are still alive?

And she sent the little kid back to the house for a pair of shears, and needle, and thread. Then she cut the wolf's body open, and no sooner had she made one snip than out came the head of one of the kids, and then another snip, and then one after the other the six little kids all jumped out alive and well, for in his greediness the rogue had swallowed them down whole. How delightful this was! so they comforted their dear mother and hopped about like tailors at a wedding.

"Now fetch some good hard stones," said the mother, "and we will fill his body with them, as he lies asleep." And so they fetched some in all haste, and put them inside him, and the mother sewed him up so quickly again that he was none the wiser.

When the wolf at last awoke, and got up, the stones inside him made him feel very thirsty, and as he was going to the brook to drink, they struck and rattled one against another. And so he cried out: "What is this I feel inside me Knocking hard against my bones? How should such a thing betide me! They were kids, and now they're stones."

So he came to the brook, and stooped to drink, but the heavy stones weighed him down, so he fell over into the water and was drowned. And when the seven little kids saw it they came up running. "The wolf is dead, the wolf is dead!" they cried, and taking hands, they danced with their mother all about the place.

Vocabulary from "The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

fondB2

/fɒnd/adj.

Loving and caring toward someone.

喜爱的；疼爱的。

There was once an old goat who had seven little ones, and was as fond of them as ever mother was of her children.
从前有一只老山羊，她有七只小山羊，她就像所有母亲爱孩子一样爱着它们。

wretchC1

/retʃ/n.

A wicked or hateful person.

坏蛋；恶棍；可鄙的人。

The wretch often disguises himself, but he may always be known by his hoarse voice and black paws.
这个坏蛋经常伪装自己，但你们总是可以通过他粗哑的声音和黑色的爪子认出他来。

hoarseB2

/hɔːs/adj.

Sounding rough and harsh, as a voice does.

（嗓音）沙哑的；粗哑的。

But the little kids knew it was the wolf by the hoarse voice.
但小山羊们听出声音很粗哑，知道那是狼。

bleated(bleat)C1

/bliːtɪd/v.

Made the soft, wavering cry of a sheep or goat.

（羊）咩咩叫。

And the mother bleated good-bye, and went on her way with an easy mind.
于是老山羊咩咩地道了别，放心地上了路。

delicateB2

/ˈdelɪkət/adj.

Soft, fine, and gentle.

柔美的；细腻的；温柔的。

You are not our mother, she has a delicate and sweet voice, and your voice is hoarse.
你不是我们的妈妈，她说话声音温柔又甜美，而你的声音很粗哑。

chalkB1

/tʃɔːk/n.

A soft white rock, used for writing or drawing.

白垩；粉笔。

Then off went the wolf to a shop and bought a big lump of chalk, and ate it up to make his voice soft.
于是狼跑去商店买了一大块粉笔，吞了下去，好让声音变柔和。

doughB2

/dəʊ/n.

A soft, thick mixture of flour and water used to make bread.

生面团。

Baker, said he, I am hurt in the foot; pray spread some dough over the place.
面包师，他说，我的脚受了伤，请在上面抹点面团。

rogueB2

/rəʊɡ/n.

A dishonest or mischievous person.

无赖；恶棍；捣蛋鬼。

And now came the rogue the third time to the door and knocked.
现在这个无赖第三次来到门前敲门。

greedinessB2

/ˈɡriːdinəs/n.

The state of wanting far more than you need.

贪婪；贪吃。

One after the other the six little kids all jumped out alive and well, for in his greediness the rogue had swallowed them down whole.
六只小羊一个接一个地全都活着跳了出来，好端端的，原来那贪婪的坏蛋把它们囫囵吞了下去。

brookB2

/brʊk/n.

A small stream.

小溪；小河。

As he was going to the brook to drink, they struck and rattled one against another.
当他走向小溪想喝水时，石头在肚子里互相撞击，咔嗒作响。

stooped(stoop)B2

/stuːpt/v.

Bent the upper body forward and down.

俯身；弯腰。

So he came to the brook, and stooped to drink, but the heavy stones weighed him down.
于是他来到溪边，弯下腰去喝水，沉重的石头把他往下拽。

swallowed(swallow)B1

/ˈswɒləʊd/v.

Made food or drink go down the throat.

吞下；咽下。

One after the other he swallowed down, all but the youngest, who was hid in the clock-case.
他把它们一个接一个地吞了下去，只有藏在钟壳里最小的那只没被发现。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Do not trust a stranger's sweet words too easily; both voice and appearance can be faked, so always stay alert.

Educational Value

Builds children's safety awareness, teaches them to verify identity and not open the door to strangers, and shows a mother's cleverness and love.

Tips for Parents

Treat it as a safety lesson: agree on a family 'secret word' with your child and practise what to do when someone knocks; read it alongside Little Red Riding Hood.

Talk About It

The kids saw through the wolf the first two times — how? And how did the wolf fix each of these giveaways?
Even with a soft voice and white paws, the wolf was still a wolf. Can we trust someone based on voice and looks alone?
The miller did not want to help the wolf but did it after being threatened. Was his choice right? What would you have done?
If you were home alone and someone knocked saying 'It's your mother,' how would you make sure it was really her?