" So the old lady was comforted, and set off
cheerfully for the wood.
Before long, some one knocked at the door, and cried, "Open, open, my
dear children; your mother is here, and has brought something for each
of you."
But the goslings soon perceived, by the rough voice, that it was the
wolf. "We will not open," said they; "you are not our mother, for she
has a sweet and lovely voice; but your voice is rough--you are the
wolf."
Thereupon the wolf set off to a merchant and bought a large lump of
chalk; he ate it, and it made his voice sweet. Back he came, knocked
at the door, and cried, "Open, open, my dear children; your mother is
here, and has brought something for each of you."
But the wolf had laid his black paw on the window-sill, and when the
children saw it, they cried, "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.
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