But when they got there, lo and behold! it was the wolves themselves who were cooking their porridge, and so they said: “Good evening, young fellows, and good appetite to you!” And the wolves answered: “Good evening, Mr. Goat and Mr. Ram! We're just boiling our porridge, come and have some, and then we'll eat you both up.” At this the goat took fright, while as for the ram, his legs had been shaking with fear for some time. Then the goat began to think, and he thought and thought and at last he said: “Come now, Mr. Ram, let's have a look at that wolf's head you've got in your sack!” And the ram took out the wolf's head, when the goat said: “No, not that one. Let's have the other bigger one!” And again the ram gave him the same head, but he said: “No, not that one either! let's have the largest of all!”
And the wolves looked, and thought the ram had a whole sackful of wolves' heads, and each one of them said to himself: “Well, these are nice guests to have! I'd better hop off!” And first one said aloud to the others: “I like your company all right, brothers, but somehow, the porridge doesn't seem to be boiling very well. I'll just run and fetch some sticks to throw on the fire.” And as he went off, he thought to himself: “You and your company be bothered!”—and never came back.
Then the second wolf kept thinking how he could get away, and he said: “It seems very funny, our brother went to fetch the wood, but he hasn't brought the wood, and hasn't come back himself. I'll just go and help him!”
So off he went too, and never came back. And the third wolf was left sitting there, and at last he said: “I must really go and hurry them up. What are they dawdling all this time for!” And as soon as he was gone, he set off running and never so much as looked back.
And at that the ram and the goat were delighted. They ate up all the porridge and then ran away themselves.