"We will not open; our mother has not
black feet like you--you are the wolf."

So the wolf ran off to the baker, and said, "I have hurt my foot, put
some dough on it." And when the baker had plastered it with dough, the
wolf went to the miller and cried, "Strew some meal on my paws." But
the miller thought to himself, "The wolf wants to deceive some one,"
and he hesitated to do it; till the wolf said, "If you don't do it at
once, I will eat you up." So the miller was afraid and made his paws
white. Such is the way of the world!

Now came the rogue back for the third time, knocked and said, "Open
the door, dear children; your mother has come home, and has brought
something for each of you out of the wood."

The little goslings cried, "Show us your paws first, that we may see
whether you are indeed our mother." So he laid his paws on the
window-sill, and when the goslings saw that they were white, they
believed it was all right, and opened the door; and who should come in
but the wolf!

They screamed out and tried to hide themselves; one jumped under the
table, another into the bed, the third into the oven; the fourth ran
into the kitchen, the fifth hopped into a chest, the sixth under the
wash-tub, and the seventh got into the clock-case. But the wolf seized
them, and stood on no ceremony with them; one after another he gobbled
them all up, except the youngest, who being in the clock-case he
couldn't find. When the wolf had eaten his fill, he strolled forth,
laid himself down in the green meadow under a tree, and went fast
asleep.

Not long after, back came the old goose home from the wood; but what,
alas! did she see? The house-door stood wide open; table, chairs,
benches, were all overthrown; the wash-tub lay in the ashes; blankets
and pillows were torn off the bed. She looked for her children, but
nowhere could she find them; she called them each by name, but nobody
answered. At last, when she came to the youngest, a little squeaking
voice answered, "Dear mother, I am in the clock-case." She pulled him
out, and he told her how the wolf had come and had eaten up all the
others. You may think how she wept for her dear children.

At last, in her grief, she went out, and the youngest gosling ran
beside her. And when she came to the meadow there lay the wolf under
the tree, snoring till the boughs shook. She walked round and examined
him on all sides, till she perceived that something was moving and
kicking about