The Wolf, the Goat, and the Kid

Name: The Wolf, the Goat, and the Kid
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

The goat leaves to feed on a distant hill, after locking her door and warning her kid not to open it to anyone who cannot give the watchword: “Deuce take the wolf and all his race!” A wolf overhears this instruction and, once the goat has gone, repeats the words at the door in a deceitful attempt to enter. The wary kid looks through a crack and demands to see a white paw as further proof. Since the wolf cannot provide one, he is forced to leave hungry. The tale shows that a single safeguard may be insufficient and that caution, even when it seems unnecessary, is valuable.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Moral Tale, Animal Tale · 372 words

First lines

As went the goat her pendent dugs to fill, / And browse the herbage of a distant hill, / She latch'd her door, and bid, / With matron care, her kid; -- / 'My daughter, as you live, / This portal don't undo / To any creature who / This watchword does not give: / "Deuce take the wolf and all his race! " / The wolf was passing near the place / By chance, and heard the words with pleasure, / And laid them up as useful treasure; / And hardly need we mention, / Escaped the goat's attention. / No sooner did he see / The matron off, than he, / With hypocritic tone and face, / Cried out before the place, / 'Deuce take the wolf and all his race! ' / Not doubting thus to gain admission. / The kid, not void of all suspicion, / Peer'd through a crack, and cried, / 'Show me white paw before / You ask me to undo the door. ' / The wolf could not, if he had died, / For wolves have no connexion / With paws of that complexion. / So, much surprised, our gormandiser / Retired to fast till he was wiser. / How would the kid have been undone / Had she but trusted to the word / The wolf by chance had overheard! / Two sureties better are than one; / And caution's worth its cost, / Though sometimes seeming lost.[1]

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Similar titles

Genres

Fable — The poem uses speaking animals, a brief cautionary plot, and an explicit moral about prudence and verification.
Moral Tale — Its central purpose is to teach that caution and multiple safeguards are wiser than trusting words alone.
Animal Tale — A goat, her kid, and a wolf act as human-like characters whose animal traits support the lesson.
Didactic Literature — The narrative is structured to instruct readers in practical vigilance, especially against deception.

What this Textopian page supports

The Wolf, the Goat, and the Kid is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Fable
Author: Jean de La Fontaine
Date: 1668 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Moral Tale, Animal Tale, Didactic Literature, Verse Narrative
Length: 372 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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