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Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived 

with her mother. They lived ina little town right 

in New Jersey. Each day, the girl and her mother 

would greet each other every morning when her 

mother woke her up. They didnt get to see each 

other much in the week because they had work 

and school.

One day the mother said to the girl, "I must travel 

to the city to work at another school. I will be gone 

three days and three nights."

"But mother," replied the girl, "Can't   I come, too?" 

"No," said the mother, "You must stay behind and 

protect our house from the wolves in the forest of 

trees across the street. If you have trouble while I'm 

away, call for the neighbors who will come and help 

you." 

The next morning, the mother prepared to leave. The 

girl was not happy to stay behind, but wished her 

mother a safe journey and went out to watch the little 

boys and girls play while she was home sick. After a 

few hours, however, the girl began to grow bored. 

There was nobody to talk to, and nothing to do.

He tried playing hide-and-seek and tag with himself , 

but she relized it was hard to find someone when 

your aways there . Boring, boring, boring thought the 

little girl. 

Then she had an idea. He stood at the top of the hill and 

with all of his might, she yelled "help my mother is 

missing" towards the neighbors who were at least a mile 

away.

Within a few minutes, the lovely neighbors came running 

up the hill to help. But when they arrived, of course there 

was no sight of her mother anywhere. 

The girl thought this was a good plan for everyone to look 

even though she knew where her mother was. She said 

the person who finds her doesnt have to walk in to our 

creepy across the street neighbors yard while the others 

do.

The baker -- who was a bit roly-poly -- was especially 

tired. "Where was the last place you saw her?" he asked.

"she must have run away," exclaimed the girl.

"Run away? Are you sure she would run away?" '

"Oh yes," the girl said with a sure look on her face, "I'm 

quite sure." 

The baker and the townspeople looked around the 

house, the field and the edge of the forest, but of course 

they could find no mother, and so returned to the 

village. 

The next day, the girl went out into the field 

again. Unable to control his boredom with being 

sick alone, she decided to try this trick again. 

"mother i saw her help," she cried. 

Again, several of theneighbors came running up 

the hill, this time even faster than before. When 

they arrived, of course there was no mother, and 

everyone was tired. The boy thought this was 

hilarious, and laughed and laughed but to 

himself. 

The blacksmith -- who was still carrying his hammer and 

tongs -- was especially tired. "Where was she?" he asked.

"Who oh my mom i forgot um i forget," chuckled the girl.

"How can you forget? Are you sure there you saw her?" '

"Oh yes," the girl said with big eyes, "I'm quite sure." 

So the blacksmith, the baker, and the rest of the neighboors 

looked all around the house twice, all over the field and the 

edge of the forest, but of course they could find no mother. 

They became frustrated and so returned to the village. 

On the third day, the boy went out into the field again. 

She thought that maybe the townspeople were 

beginning to guess her trick, and she thought better of 

trying it again. 

But by the afternoon, she could not resist any longer.  

Perhaps she would try it just one more time. She 

stood at the top of the hill and yelled "Mother come 

back she is here" down towards the village.

As before, several of the townspeople came running 

up the hill. When they arrived, of course there was no 

mother, and everyone was exhausted -- and angry.

The butcher -- who was still carrying a ham under his arms -- 

was especially tired. 

"Where is your mother?" he asked.

"She must have jumped the fence," thought the girl.

"Jumped the fence? Your mother doesnt have the legsto do 

that?" '

"Oh yes she does," laughed the girl.

So the butcher, the blacksmith, the baker, and the rest of the 

townspeople looked all around the house three times, all over 

the field and even went a ways into the forest, but of course they 

could find no mother. Now they were very angry.

"There is no mother here" they cried. "You lied to us! Where 

is your father?"

Seeing how angry the townspeople were, the girl was no 

longer laughing, but quite scared. She ran into the house and 

locked the door. The townspeople banged on the door, but 

she would not let them in. After awhile, they returned to the 

village. 

The girl came out of the house and returned to the field. He 

decided that it wasn't a good idea to play the trick anymore, 

and went back to tending sheep. But all was not well.

Deep in the forest, the smell of the butcher's freshly 

cooked ham reached the nose of a sleeping wolf.   "A 

delicious piece of meat!" thought the wolf, waking in 

hunger. "I must find it at once." And so the wolf set 

out in search of the source of the wonderful smell.

The next morning, the girl and the sheep ventured 

out to the meadow. The girl was happy that her 

father would be gone on a different trip than her 

mother. She watched the sheep until at last   she 

became tired and lay down to take an afternoon nap.

Suddenly she awoke to the sound of scared sheep, bleating, 

"BAAAAH BAAAAH BAAAAH!" The wolf had come while 

the girl was napping and, unable to find the ham, had 

instead decided to steal a sheep. 

There was no time to lose. The girl jumped to the top of the 

hill and yelled "Wolf, Wolf, Woooooooooooolf" down 

towards the village. Several moments passed , but he could 

see no people coming. Meanwhile, the wolf had chosen the 

fattest sheep he could find. Sadly the villagers would not 

come because he was playing a trick on them but with his 

mother and she had just wanted her mother back

"Wolf, Wolf, Woooooooooooolf," cried the girl again, 

but still she could see nobody coming. By now the 

wolf had grabbed the sheep and was heading for the 

edge of the forest. 

One last time, "Wolf, Wolf, Woooooooooooolf," cried 

the girl. Finally she could see a single person coming 

up the hill. But by then it was too late. The wolf had 

already disappeared into the forest with the sheep. 

The girl realized that the man climbing the hill was 

her mother, and began to cry. Finally as the mother 

reached the top of the hill, the girl could see that she 

was angry. 

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