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So now the wretch went for the third time to the house-door,

knocked at it and said: 'Open the door for me, children, your

dear little mother has come home, and has brought every one of

you something back from the forest with her.' The little kids

cried: 'First show us your paws that we may know if you are our

dear little mother.' Then he put his paws in through the window

and when the kids saw that they were white, they believed that

all he said was true, and opened the door. But who should come in

but the wolf! They were terrified and wanted to hide themselves.

One sprang under the table, the second into the bed, the third

into the stove, the fourth into the kitchen, the fifth into the

cupboard, the sixth under the washing-bowl, and the seventh into

the clock-case. But the wolf found them all, and used no great

ceremony; one after the other he swallowed them down his throat.

The youngest, who was in the clock-case, was the only one he did

not find.