My dear children, each character in this tale is represented by
A different instrument of the orchestra. The bird by the flute
The duck by the oboe. The cat by the clarinet, staccato in the
Lower register. The grandfather by the bassoon. The wolf by three
Horns. Peter by the string quartet. The riffle shots by the kettle
Drum and the big drum. Thus you will learn to identify the special
Colour of these instruments during the performance of this tale
Peter and the Wolf
Early one morning Peter opened the gate
And went out into the big green meadow
On a branch of a big tree sat a little bird, Peter's
Friend. 'All is quiet!' chirped the bird gaily
Just then a duck came waddling round. She was glad
That Peter had not closed the gate, and decided
To take a nice swim in the deep pond in the meadow
Seeing the duck, the little bird flew down upon the grass, settled
Next to her, and shrugged his shoulders. 'What kind of a bird are
You, if you can't fly?' said he. To this the duck replied, 'What
Kind of a bird are you, if you can't swim?' and dived into the pond
They argued and argued, the duck swimming in the pond, the
Little bird hopping along the shore. Suddenly something caught
Peter's attention. He noticed a cat crawling through the grass
The cat thought, "The bird is busy arguing. I'll just grab
Her." Stealthily she crept towards him on her velvet paws
"Oh! Look out!" shouted Peter, and the
Bird immediately flew up into the tree
While the duck quacked angrily at the cat from the middle of the pond
The cat walked around the tree and thought, "Is it worth climbing up
So high? By the time I get there, the bird will have flown away."
Grandfather came out. He was angry because Peter had gone
Into the meadow. "It is a dangerous place. If a wolf
Should come out of the forest, then what would you do?"
Peter paid no attention to his grandfather's
Words. Boys like him are not afraid of wolves
But Grandfather took Peter by the hand
Led him home and locked the gate
No sooner had Peter gone than a big
Grey wolf did come out of the forest
In a twinkling, the cat climbed up the tree
The duck quacked and in her excitement jumped out of the pond
But no matter how hard the duck tried to run, she couldn't escape
The wolf. He was getting nearer, nearer, catching up with her
And then he got her, and with one gulp swallowed her
And now, this is how things stood
The cat was sitting on one branch, the bird on another, not too close
To the cat. And the wolf walked round and round the tree, looking
At them with greedy eyes. In the meantime Peter, without the
Slightest fear, stood behind the closed gate watching all that was
Going on. He ran home, got a strong rope, and climbed up the high
Stone wall. One of the branches of the tree round which the wolf
Was walking stretched out over the wall. Grabbing hold of the branch
Peter lightly climbed over into the tree. Peter said to the bird, '
Fly down and circle round the wolf's head. Only take care that he
Doesn't catch you!' The bird almost touched the wolf's head with his
Wings, while the wolf snapped angrily at him from this side and that
How the bird did worry the wolf! And how the wolf wanted to catch
Him! But the bird was cleverer, and the wolf simply couldn't do
Anything about it. Meanwhile, Peter made a lasso and, carefully
Letting it down, caught the wolf by the tail and pulled
With all his might. Feeling himself caught, the wolf
Began to jump wildly, trying to get loose. But Peter tied
The other end of the rope to the tree, and the wolf's
Jumping only made the rope round his tail tighter. Just then
The hunters came out of the woods
Following the wolf's trail and shooting as they went
But Peter, sitting in the tree, said, "Don't shoot!
Birdy and I have caught the wolf
Now help us to take him to the zoo"
And there!
Imagine the triumphant procession
Peter at the head
After him the hunters leading the wolf
And winding up the procession Grandfather and the cat
Grandfather tossed his head discontentedly, "Well
And if Peter had not caught the wolf, what then?"
Above them flew Birdy chirping merrily, "
My, what brave fellows we are, Peter and I
Look what we have caught!"
And if you listen very carefully you'll
Hear the duck quacking inside the wolf
Because the wolf in his hurry had swallowed her alive
