One must be on the lookout for deception, and not be misled by the words of pretended friends.

Once there was a little goat with white hair all over him like his mother. That was why he was called Snowflake. His mother stayed at home when he was a baby and taught him many things a little goat should know. But one night his mother had to go off on a visit. She barred all the doors and windows, and said:

“Now, Snowflake, if any one comes to the door and knocks be sure not to open it unless he says, ‘Little bird, little bird, up in a tree; little goat, little goat, open to me.’”

The mother then went away.

All this time Mr. Wolf was hiding just outside, and when the mother was well out of sight he thought he would like a nice supper of fat young goat. So he went to the door and knocked.

“Who’s there?” said Snowflake. The old wolf said:

“Little bird, little bird, up in a tree; little goat, little goat, open to me.” But the wolf’s voice was not like his mother’s voice, and so Snowflake, to be sure, said:

“Let me see your foot.” Then the wolf put his foot through a crack in the door. But Snowflake said:

“Go away! my mother’s foot is white and yours is black.” So the wolf went away growling. Then the wolf got some flour and put it on his foot and came back and knocked at the door.

“Who’s there?” asked Snowflake. The old wolf said:

“Little bird, little bird, up in a tree; little goat, little goat, open to me.” But Snowflake did not like the voice and again said:

“Let me see your foot,” and the wolf put his flour covered foot through the crack in the door.

Snowflake looked at it and said:

“My mother’s foot is hard and yours is soft like paws. Go away from here!” The old wolf went away growling. He was getting very hungry by this time. At last he went back to the door and knocked. Again Snowflake asked: “Who’s there?” And the wolf said the same words.

“Let me see your foot,” said Snowflake. This time the wolf stuck his soft tail through the crack. Snowflake saw it was not his mother’s foot, so he grabbed the wolf’s tail and tied a knot in it. Now the old wolf was caught and could not pull his tail out nor get away.

When the mother came back she butted the old wolf so hard that she split the door so that his tail untied, and he was glad to go away from that goat’s house, and never come back.