The Wolf and the Three Kittens

Big Cat and Her Children

The Cat lives in a house near a wood. Her name is Big Cat. She has three children.

One kitten is black, and her name is Black Cat.

One kitten is white, and her name is White Cat.

One kitten is grey, and her name is Grey Cat.

One day Big Cat says, “Children, we have nothing for lunch. I am going to the market to buy something for lunch. You must be good and sit still, or the Bad Wolf may hear you and come here.”

The kittens say, “Yes, Mother.”

Big Cat puts on her hat and coat, takes her basket and goes away.

And the three kittens sit still and try to be very good.

Black Cat takes a book and begins to read a story.

Grey Cat takes a piece of paper and begins to write a letter.

White Cat sits down on the window-sill and looks out of the window. And they all sit still and are very good.

“Your Paw is Black”

The Bad Wolf lives in the wood near Big Cat’s house. He has sharp, white teeth and four big black paws, and he is always hungry.

He sees Big Cat on the road to the market and says to himself, “Big Cat is not at home,

I can go into her house and eat up all her kittens.”

So he goes to Big Cat’s house and knocks at the door.

“Who is knocking at the door?” ask the kittens.

“It is Mother,” says the Wolf.

“Let me in at once.”

White Cat opens the door a little bit and looks out.

“Show us your paw,” she says.

The Bad Wolf puts out his big, black paw.

“That is not Mother’s paw,” says White Cat.

“Mother’s paw is white, and your paw is black.” And she closes the door.

“Your Voice is not Sweet”

The Bad Wolf goes away to his house in the wood.

He says to himself, “I must make my paw white.” And he puts his paw in some water, but it does not come out white.

He blows and blows on his paw, but it is still not white.

Then he puts his paw in a bag of flour, and it comes out all white.

Again the Bad Wolf goes to Big Cat’s house and knocks at the door.

“Who is knocking at the door?” ask the kittens.

“It is Mother,” says the Bad Wolf.

“Let me in at once.”

Black Cat opens the door a little bit and looks out.

“Show us your paw,” she says.

The Bad Wolf puts out his white paw.

“Your paw looks very white,” says Black Cat, “but your voice is not sweet. You are not Mother.” And she closes the door.

“That is Mother”

The Bad Wolf goes away to his house in the wood.

He says to himself, “I must make my voice sweet.”

And he eats some sugar. He eats very much sugar. He eats as much sugar as he can, and his voice is sweet.

Again he goes to Big Cat’s house and knocks at the door.

“Who is knocking at the door?” ask the kittens.

“It is Mother,” says the Bad Wolf.

“Let me in at once.”

The kittens hear the sweet voice, and they say, “That is Mother.”

So they open the door. The hungry Bad Wolf comes in.

“Ha, ha!” he laughs,

“I am going to eat you up.”

The Kittens Run to Hide

The three kittens are afraid and run to hide. Black Cat climbs up the chimney. White Cat hides in the clock. Grey Cat climbs up on a shelf.

The Bad Wolf is very angry, he wants his lunch.

He tries to get Black Cat out of the chimney, but he cannot, his arm is not long enough.

He tries to get White Cat out of the clock, but he cannot, his arm is not long enough.

He tries to get Grey Cat from the shelf, but he cannot, his arm is not long enough.

Grey Cat dances on the shelf and laughs, “You cannot get us, Mr. Wolf! You cannot get us, Mr. Wolf!”

The Bad Wolf is very angry. He shows his sharp white teeth and says, “I am going to eat you up. I am going to eat you up.”

The Bad Wolf Cannot Get the Kittens. But the angry Bad Wolf cannot get the kittens and eat them up.

So he goes away without any lunch.

Black Cat comes out of the chimney. White Cat comes out of the clock. And Grey Cat comes down from the shelf.

And when the little cats think of the hungry Bad Wolf, they laugh, and dance, and sing.