Little Red Riding Hood

Once there was a little country girl who was loved by everyone who knew her. Her grandmother especially adored her and gave her a little red hood to wear. It suited the child so well that everyone began to call her **Little Red Riding Hood**.

One day her mother baked some cakes and said to her, “Go and see how your grandmother is doing, for I hear she has been ill. Take her these cakes and this little pot of butter.”

Little Red Riding Hood set out at once to her grandmother’s house, which stood in another village. As she was going through the wood, she met a wolf. The wolf had a great mind to eat her, but he did not dare, because some woodcutters were nearby in the forest.

So he asked her politely where she was going.

The poor child, who did not know that it is dangerous to stop and talk to a wolf, said, “I am going to see my grandmother and bring her cakes and butter from my mother.”

“Does she live far away?” asked the wolf.

“Oh yes,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “Beyond the mill you see over there, in the first house in the village.”

“Well,” said the wolf, “I will go and see her too. I will take this path, and you take that one, and we shall see who gets there first.”

The wolf ran as fast as he could along the shorter path, while the little girl took the longer way, amusing herself by gathering flowers, chasing butterflies, and making bouquets.

Meanwhile, the wolf reached the grandmother’s house and knocked at the door.

“Who is there?” called the grandmother.

“It is your little granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood,” said the wolf, imitating the child’s voice. “I have brought you cakes and butter from my mother.”

The good grandmother, who was in bed because she was not well, called out, “Pull the latch, and the door will open.”

The wolf opened the door, sprang upon the old woman, and swallowed her in a moment, for he had not eaten for three days. Then he shut the door, got into the grandmother’s bed, and waited for Little Red Riding Hood.

A little later, she came and knocked.

“Who is there?” asked the wolf, softening his voice.

“It is your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood,” she answered. “I have brought you cakes and butter from my mother.”

The wolf called to her, “Pull the latch, and the door will open.”

She opened the door. The wolf, seeing her enter, hid himself under the bedclothes and said, “Put the cakes and butter on the stool, and come lie down beside me.”

Little Red Riding Hood undressed and got into bed. At once she was surprised by how strange her grandmother looked.

“Grandmother,” she said, “what big arms you have!”

“All the better to hug you with, my dear.”

“Grandmother, what big legs you have!”

“All the better to run with, my child.”

“Grandmother, what big ears you have!”

“All the better to hear you with, my child.”

“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”

“All the better to see you with, my child.”

“Grandmother, what big teeth you have!”

“All the better to eat you with!”

And saying these words, the wicked wolf sprang out of bed and ate up Little Red Riding Hood.