This is an excerpt of the story I used in my classroom.
A poor widow had thirteen sons. One day, she called them. “My sons, you are big enough to go,” she said. They bade her farewell.
After a time, they reached a king’s castle. In the kingdom, lived a wicked wolf too. The king asked them to bring him the quilt of the wolf. The youngest son, Little Thirteen brought the quilt to the king. He jabbed the wolf with a very long needle to get the quilt. The king then asked for the wolf’s pillow. The pillow had bells sewn to it. Little Thirteen wrapped the bells in a tow and thread. The bells didn’t jingle. The king then wanted the wolf. Little Thirteen didn’t know how to catch the wolf. In the morning, he had an idea. He went to the wolf’s cottage. He spoke loudly, “Help me make a coffin for Little Thirteen!” The wolf heard him and gladly came to help. Little Thirteen asked the wolf to try the coffin for size. “You are as big as Little Thirteen is,” he told the wolf. The wolf jumped into the coffin. Little Thirteen quickly nailed the lid down. Little Thirteen returned to the castle. The king gave him a big bag of gold coins. The thirteen sons returned home. They and their mother were never poor again.
A poor widow had thirteen sons. One day, she called them. “My sons, you are big enough to go,” she said. They bade her farewell.
After a time, they reached a king’s castle. In the kingdom, lived a wicked wolf too. The king asked them to bring him the quilt of the wolf. The youngest son, Little Thirteen brought the quilt to the king. He jabbed the wolf with a very long needle to get the quilt. The king then asked for the wolf’s pillow. The pillow had bells sewn to it. Little Thirteen wrapped the bells in a tow and thread. The bells didn’t jingle. The king then wanted the wolf. Little Thirteen didn’t know how to catch the wolf. In the morning, he had an idea. He went to the wolf’s cottage. He spoke loudly, “Help me make a coffin for Little Thirteen!” The wolf heard him and gladly came to help. Little Thirteen asked the wolf to try the coffin for size. “You are as big as Little Thirteen is,” he told the wolf. The wolf jumped into the coffin. Little Thirteen quickly nailed the lid down. Little Thirteen returned to the castle. The king gave him a big bag of gold coins. The thirteen sons returned home. They and their mother were never poor again.