Ion Creanga | Eastern Europe

The Goat with Three Kids

Mother goat warns her kids about a cunning wolf; two are eaten, but the diligent youngest remains safe and helps defeat the wolf.

The Goat with Three Kids
Text Version

Once upon a time, in a peaceful valley, there lived a mother goat with her three little kids. The two older kids were playful and mischievous, while the youngest was diligent and obedient.

One day, the mother goat had to go into the forest to gather food. Before she left, she warned her kids, "Keep the door tightly locked, and do not open it unless you hear me singing our special song." The three little kids promised to do as their mother asked.

Just as she was speaking, a cunning wolf was hiding nearby, listening to every word. As soon as the mother goat left, the wolf came to the door and tried to sing the special song.

The oldest kid, eager to see his mom, started to unlock the door. But the youngest kid said, "Wait! That doesn't sound like mother's voice. It's too deep and rough!"

The wolf overheard and decided to fix his voice. The clever wolf went to a nearby stream and drank water until his voice became soft. He returned and tried again, this time with a softer voice. The oldest kid, thinking it was their mother, opened the door despite the youngest one's warning.

But as the door creaked open, the wolf rushed in and swallowed the oldest kid. He then started looking for the other two. The middle kid was hiding in the cupboard, and the youngest in the fireplace. The wolf found the one in the cupboard and ate him too, but he couldn't find the youngest kid. Finally, the tired wolf left the house.

The little one, terrified but safe, locked the door again and wept for his lost brothers.

Just then, their real mother returned from the forest, singing their special song. The youngest kid, relieved to see his mother, immediately opened the door and narrated the terrible incident. The mother goat, filled with rage and sorrow, swore to teach the wolf a lesson.

She cooked delicious food and dug a deep pit in her garden. She covered it with wooden boards and placed a chair on top. Then, she invited the wolf to her house the next day. The unsuspecting wolf, still greedy for the last kid, agreed.

When the wolf sat down to eat, he fell into the pit! "Please, save me! I feel like I'm burning inside!" the wolf cried.

"No," said the mother goat. "You made my heart burn when you took my kids. Now, it's your turn!"

The mother goat and her youngest kid then filled the pit with rocks until the wicked wolf was no more. The news of the wolf's defeat spread across the forest, bringing relief to all the goats. And from then on, the mother goat and her youngest kid lived peacefully, always remembering the importance of obedience and caution.

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The Goat with Three Kids