狼和七个孩子(The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids)

详细内容

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therewasonceuponatimeanoldgoatwhohadsevenlittlekids,andlovedthemwithalltheloveofamotherforherchildren.onedayshewantedtogointotheforestandfetchsomefood.soshecalledallseventoherandsaid:'dearchildren,ihavetogointotheforest,beonyourguardagainstthewolf;ifheesin,hewilldevouryouall--skin,hair,andeverything.thewretchoftendisguiseshimself,butyouwillknowhimatoncebyhisroughvoiceandhisblackfeet.'thekidssaid:'dearmother,wewilltakegoodcareofourselves;youmaygoawaywithoutanyanxiety.'thentheoldonebleated,andwentonherwaywithaneasymind.

itwasnotlongbeforesomeoneknockedatthehouse-doorandcalled:'openthedoor,dearchildren;yourmotherishere,andhasbroughtsomethingbackwithherforeachofyou.'butthelittlekidsknewthatitwasthewolf,bytheroughvoice.'wewillnotopenthedoor,'criedthey,'youarenotourmother.shehasasoft,pleasantvoice,butyourvoiceisrough;youarethewolf!'thenthewolfwentawaytoashopkeeperandboughthimselfagreatlumpofchalk,atethisandmadehisvoicesoftwithit.thenhecameback,knockedatthedoorofthehouse,andcalled:'openthedoor,dearchildren,yourmotherishereandhasbroughtsomethingbackwithherforeachofyou.'butthewolfhadlaidhisblackpawsagainstthewindow,andthechildrensawthemandcried:'wewillnotopenthedoor,ourmotherhasnotblackfeetlikeyou:youarethewolf!'thenthewolfrantoabakerandsaid:'ihavehurtmyfeet,rubsomedoughoverthemforme.'andwhenthebakerhadrubbedhisfeetover,herantothemillerandsaid:'strewsomewhitemealovermyfeetforme.'themillerthoughttohimself:'thewolfwantstodeceivesomeone,'andrefused;butthewolfsaid:'ifyouwillnotdoit,iwilldevouryou.'thenthemillerwasafraid,andmadehispawswhiteforhim.truly,thisisthewayofmankind.sonowthewretchwentforthethirdtimetothehouse-door,knockedatitandsaid:'openthedoorforme,children,yourdearlittlemotherhasehome,andhasbroughteveryoneofyousomethingbackfromtheforestwithher.'thelittlekidscried:'firstshowusyourpawsthatwemayknowifyouareourdearlittlemother.'thenheputhispawsinthroughthewindowandwhenthekidssawthattheywerewhite,theybelievedthatallhesaidwastrue,andopenedthedoor.butwhoshouldeinbutthewolf!theywereterrifiedandwantedtohidethemselves.onesprangunderthetable,thesecondintothebed,thethirdintothestove,thefourthintothekitchen,thefifthintothecupboard,thesixthunderthewashing-bowl,andtheseventhintotheclock-case.butthewolffoundthemall,andusednogreatceremony;oneaftertheotherheswallowedthemdownhisthroat.theyoungest,whowasintheclock-case,wastheonlyonehedidnotfind.whenthewolfhadsatisfiedhisappetitehetookhimselfoff,laidhimselfdownunderatreeinthegreenmeadowoutside,andbegantosleep.soonafterwardstheoldgoatcamehomeagainfromtheforest.ah!whatasightshesawthere!thehouse-doorstoodwideopen.thetable,chairs,andbencheswerethrowndown,thewashing-bowllaybrokentopieces,andthequiltsandpillowswerepulledoffthebed.shesoughtherchildren,buttheywerenowheretobefound.shecalledthemoneafteranotherbyname,butnooneanswered.atlast,whenshecametotheyoungest,asoftvoicecried:'dearmother,iamintheclock-case.'shetookthekidout,andittoldherthatthewolfhadeandhadeatenalltheothers.thenyoumayimaginehowsheweptoverherpoorchildren.

atlengthinhergriefshewentout,andtheyoungestkidranwithher.whentheycametothemeadow,therelaythewolfbythetreeandsnoredsoloudthatthebranchesshook.shelookedathimoneverysideandsawthatsomethingwasmovingandstrugglinginhisgedbelly.'ah,heavens,'shesaid,'isitpossiblethatmypoorchildrenwhomhehasswalloweddownforhissupper,canbestillalive?'thenthekidhadtorunhomeandfetchscissors,andaneedleandthread,andthegoatcutopenthemonster'sstomach,andhardlyhadshemadeonecut,thanonelittlekidthrustitsheadout,andwhenshehadcutfarther,allsixsprangoutoneafteranother,andwereallstillalive,andhadsufferednoinjurywhatever,forinhisgreedinessthemonsterhadswallowedthemdownwhole.whatrejoicingtherewas!theyembracedtheirdearmother,andjumpedlikeatailorathiswedding.themother,however,said:'nowgoandlookforsomebigstones,andwewillfillthewickedbeast'sstomachwiththemwhileheisstillasleep.'thenthesevenkidsdraggedthestonesthitherwithallspeed,andputasmanyofthemintothisstomachastheycouldgetin;andthemothersewedhimupagaininthegreatesthaste,sothathewasnotawareofanythingandneveroncestirred.

whenthewolfatlengthhadhadhisfillofsleep,hegotonhislegs,andasthestonesinhisstomachmadehimverythirsty,hewantedtogotoawelltodrink.butwhenhebegantowalkandtomoveabout,thestonesinhisstomachknockedagainsteachotherandrattled.thencriedhe:

'whatrumblesandtumbles

againstmypoorbones?

ithought'twassixkids,

butitfeelslikebigstones.'

andwhenhegottothewellandstoopedoverthewatertodrink,theheavystonesmadehimfallin,andhedrownedmiserably.whenthesevenkidssawthat,theycamerunningtothespotandcriedaloud:'thewolfisdead!thewolfisdead!'anddancedforjoyroundaboutthewellwiththeirmother.