#FairytaleTuesday: The Wolf and the Seven Kids

[CW: animal-on-animal violence]

Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index type 123: The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids

This story was told to the Grimm brothers by the Hassenpflug family, as were many other tales in their collection. This particular story has its antecedents in the Middle East and possibly dates back as far as the 1st century, under the name The Wolf and the Kids. All versions of this story contain elements of both The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Cap.

The wolf went away to a shopkeeper and bought a big piece of chalk, which he ate, and it made his voice soft. Then he returned to the house door of the seven kids and called out with a soft voice: “Dear children, let me in. I’m your mother, and I’ve brought something for each of you.”

Work Cited:
Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm. The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition. Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.