The Jungle Wolf: A Story to Read Aloud

I'm writing this down as part of my curriculum, How to Teach Your Child to Write a Novel. This is a part of Lesson #3: Villains. "The Jungle Wolf" is a story my mother told me when I was little. I always imagined the red flower in the story to be Oswego Tea (or Bergamot) which is an exotic-looking red flower that grows in rare spots in the woods in Pennsylvania. Enjoy!

Once upon a time, in the middle of the woods, there was a brave little girl who lived with her mother in a small stone cottage. Every morning, when she went out to play, the mother told her, "My daughter, you can play in the front yard, and you can play in the back yard, and you can climb the trees, but DON'T go into the woods. Not even if you really, really want to! Because in the woods lives the Jungle Wolf! He has red eyes, and drooling jowls, and sharp fangs, and he eats little girls!"

And the little girl always did just what her mother told her because she wasn't the type of child to disobey her mother, and because she didn't want the Jungle Wolf to eat her up!

Now one day, the little girl was playing just at the edge of the yard, and she was staring into the woods, wondering what it would be like to go there, and see all the interesting things hidden there among the ferns and the tall trees. There in the woods, just out of her reach, she saw a beautiful red flower. It was so lovely, and so interesting, that she just had to pick it! So do you know what she did? She went right into the woods, that brave little girl, straight over to that flower, and she picked it.

When it was in her hand, she turned her head and had a look around. After all, this was her chance to see the woods and all the interesting things she'd dreamed she'd find there. Was she afraid of the Jungle Wolf? Not much! And do you know what she saw, just over there, just out of her reach?

Another red flower.

So do you know what she did? She went deeper into the woods, that brave little girl, straight over to that flower, and she picked it. And another, and another. And when she had a big bouquet of all the red flowers she had found, she looked around herself, and realized that she was very, very far away from home. And all around her the forest was still. And quiet. (whisper) And she could hear the ferns waving, and the trees growing. And she could hear (suddenly loud) GAHOGACHEE! GAHOGACHEE! GAHOGACHEE! It was the Jungle Wolf! And he was coming to eat her up!

The Jungle Wolf pounced on her, with his red eyes, and his drooly jowls, and his sharp fangs, and he said, "NOW I have you! And I am going to eat you up!"

The little girl said, "Oh, please, Mr. Jungle Wolf! Don't eat me! For if you let me go, I will stay right here and sing you a song!"

The Jungle Wolf let go of the little girl. He was very fond of songs. "Well alright," he said. "You can sing me a song, and I'll eat you right after that."

So the little girl began to sing: (in a sweet high sing-song voice) "Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay, Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay." And the Jungle Wolf began to get a little sleepy. (Pretend to get sleepy, and have the child join you in singing the song) "Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay, Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay." And then... he... was... asleep. Now the little girl stopped singing and began to creep, creep, creep away from the Jungle Wolf and back toward her house. Creep, creep, creep.... SNAP! She stepped on a twig and broke it!

(Then you repeat the last part, as many times as it's amusing to the child who's listening. The last time will end with the litle girl getting home.)

GAHOGACHEE! GAHOGACHEE! GAHOGACHEE! It was the Jungle Wolf! And he was coming to eat her up!

The Jungle Wolf pounced on her, with his red eyes, and his drooly jowls, and his sharp fangs, and he said, "NOW I have you! And I am going to eat you up!"

The little girl said, "Oh, please, Mr. Jungle Wolf! Don't eat me! For if you let me go, I will stay right here and sing you a song!"

The Jungle Wolf let go of the little girl. He was very fond of songs. "Well alright," he said. "You can sing me a song, and I'll eat you right after that."

So the little girl began to sing: (in a sweet high sing-song voice) "Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay, Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay." And the Jungle Wolf began to get a little sleepy. (Pretend to get sleepy, and have the child join you in singing the song) "Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay, Quee-Quiy-Quo-Quay." And then... he... was... asleep. Now the little girl stopped singing and began to creep, creep, creep away from the Jungle Wolf and back toward her house. Creep, creep, creep.... SNAP! She stepped on a twig and broke it!

GAHOGACHEE! GAHOGACHEE! GAHOGACHEE! <> (bring your hands down hard on the table, or clap, or something). She leaped into the kitchen, and slammed the door, and was SAFE from the Jungle Wolf, who had to go back to the woods. And she never, ever, ever went out into the woods again by herself, no matter how many red flowers she could see from where she stood! The end.

Discussion:

1. What would the story be like without the Jungle Wolf? Can you retell the story without a villain?
2. What does the red flower symbolize for the girl? What does it represent?
3. Was the little girl right or wrong to go out of the yard and after the red flowers?