Today I’m going to tell you a story that was told a long time ago called The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats. It is a story about being wise, careful, and brave. It tells us to be wary of strangers and not to trust people easily.
The story goes like this:
I. Mother’s Advice Before Going Out
Once upon a time, there was a female goat who gave birth to seven beautiful babies. These little babies were lively and obedient, and the mother goat loved them very much.
One day, the mother goat went into the forest to look for food. Before she left, she called her children to her side and said earnestly, “When I go out, you must be good and stay at home and don’t open the door for strangers.
“Why?” The little goats asked.
The mother goat said, “Because there is a wolf outside, and it is very bad and will deceive people. If he comes, he may pretend to be me and try to trick you all into opening the door. But don’t worry, I can teach you all how to recognize him as a fake.”
She continued, “The real me has a nice voice, not raspy like the wolf. And my paws are light, not black. If someone knocks at the door, you must look and listen carefully before you decide whether or not to open the door.
The little goats all nodded and said in unison, “Okay, Mom, we will be careful!”
Having said this, the mother goat walked out the door with peace of mind.
Two: The Wolf Came and Began to Deceive
Not long after that, a big gray wolf came. He stood at the door, knocked hard on the door, and shouted, “Children, open the door, Mommy’s home!
The little goats in the house were immediately alarmed. The youngest one looked through the door and saw a big gray wolf standing outside.
He quickly said, “You are not our mommy! Her voice is much better than yours, and yours is so husky!”
The wolf was furious when he heard this, but he didn’t give up. He thought, “Huh, I’ve got to find a way to make my voice sound better.
So he ran to the store and bought some food that could make his voice thinner, and when he ate it, his voice became a little lighter.
Once again she went to the door of the little goats’ house, knocked gently on the door, and said in a soft voice, “Boys, I’m your mommy, and I’m really home!
The little goats were still a little skeptical. They took a closer look through the door and noticed that this “mommy” still had black paws.
They exclaimed, “This is not right! Our mother’s paws are light, you must be a fake!”
The wolf was caught again and had to go back and think of something.
Three, the wolf tried another trick.
This time the wolf had a new idea. He ran to the mill and sprinkled a lot of white flour on his paws so that the paws looked like they had really turned white.
Then he came to the door for the third time, knocked gently and said in a low voice, “Dear children, it is really me, your mother, who has returned; open the door!
When the lambs saw her paws turn white, they thought their mother had really come back, and they opened the door happily.
But as soon as the door opened, the wolf showed his true face. He rushed in and swallowed all six little goats into his stomach!
Only the smallest goat reacted quickly and hid in a clock case so the wolf wouldn’t get him.
After the wolf had eaten his fill, he went to a big tree and lay down to sleep.
Fourth, the mother came home and saved her children.
After a while, the mother goat came home. As soon as she entered, she found the house in disarray, and the door was not properly locked.
She hastily asked, “Children, where are you?”
The little goat, who was hiding in the clock box, heard her mother’s voice and rushed out, crying, “Mama, it’s not good! The wolf is here, he tricked us into opening the door and ate all the brothers and sisters!”
When the mother goat heard this, she was frightened and heartbroken. But instead of panicking, she immediately calmed down and thought about how to save the children.
Suddenly it occurred to her that the wolf might not be far away. She rushed out to look for him, and sure enough, she found the wolf dozing under the tree.
The mother goat brought scissors and needle and thread and carefully cut open the wolf’s belly. Unexpectedly, all six little goats were still alive! One by one, they jumped out of the wolf’s belly and happily jumped on their mother.
V. Punishing the Bad Wolf
The mother goat said to her children, “Now we must think of a way to teach this bad wolf a lesson so that he will never dare to bully others again.
So the little goats worked together and carried many big stones and stuffed them into the wolf’s stomach. Then the female goat sewed up the wolf’s belly with needle and thread, and the wolf never woke up.
When morning came, the wolf woke up and felt thirsty, so he ran to the well to drink. When he bent down and lowered his head, the stone in his stomach was too heavy, and with a thud, the wolf fell into the well and could not get up again.
Thus the cunning big bad wolf got the punishment he deserved.
VI. What the story tells us
This story is a bit scary, but it teaches us many useful things.
First of all, we should learn to protect ourselves. The little goats in the story were obedient at first, remembering their mother’s words and knowing to be wary of strangers. But later they were fooled by the wolf’s disguise and almost lost their lives.
So we must remember: **No matter what nice words the other person says or how friendly he looks, unless you know him, you can’t just trust him. **
Secondly, we have to be like the smallest one, the little goat, who when he was in danger had to be calm and think of ways to protect himself. He didn’t follow his other siblings to be eaten by the wolf because he reacted quickly and knew how to hide.
Finally, we need to learn what the mother goat did. Instead of being frightened by the difficulty, she thought calmly and figured out how to solve the problem. She not only saved her children, but also managed to punish the bad guys.
VII. Be vigilant in life
There are some similar situations in real life. For example:
- Someone pretends to be your parents’ friend and says he will take you to buy something delicious;
- Someone gives you candy on the street and asks you to go with them;
- Or someone tells you that your mom or dad asked them to pick you up from school.
These situations may sound like they’re okay, but they’re actually very dangerous. What should you do if you find yourself in this situation?
Here’s what you can do:
- Confirm the other person’s identity first: Call your mom or dad to make sure it’s true.
- Don’t just go with strangers: even if it’s an adult, you can’t just trust them.
- Call for help or run away: if you feel something is wrong, run away, find a safe place, and tell a trusted adult.
In short, we should be like the little one in the story, always keep a clear head and not panic when things happen so that we can protect ourselves.
