Oldal 65 [65]
. THE WOLF AND THE SEVEN GOSLINGS. 41
But the wolf had put up his black paws against the
window, and the goslings 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 themiller.
“ 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.
“Tf you dont do it,” cried the wolf, " DII 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 goslings, “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 goose 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 calléd to
each of them by name, but nobody answered, until she came
to the name of the youngest. :
Here 1 am, mother, " a little voice cried, "6 here, in the
clock-case.’