Peter and the Wolf is a story with music by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. He wrote the words and the music in 1936. A narrator tells the story, and the orchestra plays the characters. This page retells the story in eight short scenes to read aloud before you listen.
Quick facts
- Composer and author: Sergei Prokofiev, who lived from 1891 to 1953
- Written: 1936, for a children’s theater in Moscow
- Length: about 25 minutes
- Performed by: a narrator and an orchestra
- Characters: Peter, a bird, a duck, a cat, Grandfather, a wolf, and the hunters
Who plays whom
| Character | Instrument |
|---|---|
| Peter | The string instruments |
| The bird | Flute |
| The duck | Oboe |
| The cat | Clarinet |
| Grandfather | Bassoon |
| The wolf | Three French horns |
| The hunters | Woodwinds, with drums for the gunshots |
Read the instruments and the characters they play.
The story in eight scenes
1. The meadow
Peter lives with his grandfather in a house by a forest. A wall and a gate stand between the garden and a wide green meadow.
One morning, Peter opens the gate and walks out. A small bird, his friend, sings to him from a tree.
Listen for: the strings, and then the flute.
2. The bird and the duck
Peter has left the gate open. A duck waddles through it and heads for the pond.
The bird flies down to tease her. He asks what kind of bird cannot fly. The duck asks what kind of bird cannot swim. They argue, and neither one wins.
Listen for: the flute and the oboe, back and forth.
3. The cat
A cat creeps through the grass on soft paws. She has her eye on the bird.
Peter shouts a warning. The bird flies up into the tree. The duck quacks at the cat from the middle of the pond, where she is safe.
Listen for: the clarinet, low and sly.
4. Grandfather
Grandfather comes out, and he is not pleased. The meadow is no place for a boy alone, he says. A wolf could come out of the forest.
Peter is not afraid of wolves. Grandfather takes him by the hand, leads him home, and locks the gate.
Listen for: the bassoon.
5. The wolf
The gate has only just closed when a big gray wolf steps out of the forest.
The cat shoots up the tree. The duck panics and jumps out of the pond. She runs, and the wolf runs faster. He catches her and swallows her whole.
Now the cat sits on one branch, and the bird sits on another. The wolf circles the tree below them and waits.
Listen for: the three horns.
6. Peter’s plan
Peter has watched it all from behind the gate. He fetches a strong rope and climbs the wall. A branch of the tree reaches over it, and he crawls along the branch.
He asks the bird to fly around the wolf’s head, close enough to tease him and far enough to stay out of reach. The wolf snaps and snaps, and he catches nothing.
Peter ties a loop in the rope and lowers it. He slips it over the wolf’s tail and pulls. The wolf jumps and twists, and the knot gets tighter.
Listen for: the flute darting above the horns, and the strings.
7. The hunters
Hunters come out of the forest. They have followed the wolf’s tracks, and they are firing their guns.
Peter calls down from the tree and tells them to stop. He and the bird have caught the wolf. He asks the hunters to help take him to the zoo.
Listen for: a march in the woodwinds, and the drums.
8. The parade
Off they go in a grand parade. Peter walks in front. The hunters lead the wolf. Grandfather and the cat come last, and Grandfather is still grumbling about what could have gone wrong.
The bird flies above them and sings about how brave they have been.
One more sound joins the parade. It is the duck, quacking from inside the wolf. He ate in such a hurry that she is still alive.
Listen for: every tune in turn, and the oboe at the end.
A note on the ending
Some children worry about the duck. In Prokofiev’s story, she is alive inside the wolf, and the tale stops there. Some recordings and films change the ending or add to it.
It helps to talk about it first. Ask your child what they think happens next, and whether the wolf gets to the zoo.
Things to do together
Read, then listen. Read one scene aloud. Then play that part of the recording.
Who is that? Play a tune with the narrator turned down. Ask which character it is.
Act it out. Give out the seven parts. Move when your character’s instrument plays.
Draw the map. Draw the house, the wall, the gate, the meadow, the pond, the tree, and the forest. Move a coin for each character as the story goes.
A new ending. Tell what happens to the duck after the parade.
A new character. Add an animal to the story. Choose its instrument.
Questions to ask
- Was Peter brave, or did he break a rule?
- Was Grandfather right to worry?
- Why did Prokofiev choose the horns for the wolf?
- Which character would you like to be?
Print and play
Print the Peter and the Wolf character cards. For a plan across three sessions, read Peter and the Wolf activities and a lesson plan. Read Prokofiev for kids.
More from this guide
This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
1812 Overture for kids: what to listen for
A parent's listening guide to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture: the story of the battle, the two tunes that fight, the cannons and bells, and games to play.
Air on the G String by Bach for kids: what to hear
A parent's guide to Bach's Air on the G String: where the nickname came from, the walking bass and long notes to listen for, and calm things to do.
Album for the Young by Schumann: a guide for piano families
A parent's guide to Schumann's Album for the Young: the 43 piano pieces he wrote for his children, ten to hear first, and his rules for young musicians.
Amahl and the Night Visitors for kids: the story and the music
Amahl and the Night Visitors explained for kids and parents: the story of the one-act Christmas opera, the music to hear first, and ways to watch it.
Ave Maria for kids: Schubert's song and the Bach and Gounod one
Two famous pieces are called Ave Maria. How to tell Schubert's from the one by Bach and Gounod, where each came from, and what to listen for.
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony for kids: a listening guide
A parent's listening guide to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: five scenes from the countryside, the birds by the brook, the storm, and things to do.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.