Little by Little

Tullu and Bullu were twin rabbits who lived in a jungle. The jungle was full of wild animals. But Tullu and Bullu had built a sturdy house for themselves and they lived in it safely and happily. One cold winter evening, the twins were warming themselves by a fire they had lit, when someone knocked at their door. It was a big wolf!

"I am dying of cold!" said the wolf loudly. "Please open your door a little so I can just warm my tail. I won't harm you. I promise." Tullu and Bullu were kind-hearted rabbits. They opened the door a little and the wolf pushed in his tail.

After two minutes he said, “Aaah! If only I could warm my hind legs too! Please open your door a little more. I promise I won't hurt you.”

Tullu opened the door a little wider while Bullu put a big pan of water on the fire. After five minutes the wolf said, "You are so kind! Now if you opened your door a little more, I could warm my front legs too. Don't worry! I'm harmless."

The twins looked at the pan of water on the fire. The water was getting hot. They opened the door a little wider. Now just the wolf's nose was outside the door. After ten minutes the wolf said, “I feel so nice and warm! Only my nose is still cold. Kind rabbits, please open your door a little more. Don't be scared of me. I'm harmless.”

Tullu opened the door a little wider while Bullu picked up the pan of boiling water. “You can warm your nose,” said Tullu.

The wolf wriggled in completely, turned around and sprang at the rabbits. But they were ready for him. Bullu threw the boiling water straight at the wicked wolf!

“Ai-yai-yai!” he howled as he ran out of the door. “I'll be back!” he yelled. “And then I'll tear you to pieces!”

Tullu and Bullu climbed up onto the roof of their house and hid there.

Soon the wolf came back and brought ten other wolves with him. They broke open the door of the house. It was empty.

“There they are!” shouted a wolf who had gone outside. “If we make a ladder, we can reach them.”

The wolves began to stand one on top of the other, with the scalded wolf at the bottom of the ladder. They had almost reached the roof when Tullu shouted, “Watch out! Here comes more boiling water!”

The scalded wolf was terrified. “No! No!” he yelled. “Not again!”

He ran away to save himself. The ladder collapsed and all the wolves came tumbling down!

Groaning and grumbling, they limped away and never returned. Tullu and Bullu came down from the roof, repaired their broken door and lived happily ever after.