Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, a little girl had a hooded cape that was bright red. She wore it so often that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One morning, her mother put a loaf of bread and a jar of jam into a basket. “Grandmother will be happy to share these with you,” she said.

She covered the basket with a clean cloth. “Follow the woodland path straight to her cottage. If anything feels strange, step away and call for help.”

Little Red Riding Hood hugged her mother, lifted the basket and set off. The birds were singing, and sunlight danced between the trees.

At a bend in the path, a wolf stepped out from behind a tree. “Good morning! Where are you going with that lovely basket?” he asked.

“To Grandmother’s cottage, beside the little garden,” answered the girl. The wolf’s ears twitched. He had thought of a sneaky trick.

“Look at those flowers,” he said, pointing away from the main path. “Wouldn’t your grandmother like a little bunch?” Little Red Riding Hood stopped to choose three blossoms.

While she gathered the flowers, the wolf took a shortcut through the trees. He wanted to reach the cottage first and pretend to be Grandmother.

Grandmother was in her garden, watering the mint and the little flowers. She had left the cottage door ajar while she worked outside.

The wolf slipped into the quiet house. On a chair he found a frilly nightcap and an old spare pair of glasses. “These will help my trick!” he whispered.

He put them on and climbed into the bed. He pulled up the blanket, but his long ears still stuck out and his bushy tail poked over the edge.

Outside, Grandmother carried on watering. Inside, the wolf practised a tiny, squeaky voice. “Come in, my dear!” It sounded nothing like Grandmother at all.

Little Red Riding Hood reached the cottage and knocked. “Come in, my dear!” squeaked a voice. She opened the door, but stopped a few steps from the bed.

“Grandmother, what big ears you have!” she said. “All the better to hear you with!” replied the wolf. His ears wiggled beneath the nightcap.

“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” “All the better to see you with!” said the wolf. Then the girl noticed his long muzzle and the tail beside the blanket.

“And what big teeth you have!” The wolf’s glasses slid down his nose. Little Red Riding Hood realised this was not her grandmother. She stepped back toward the open door.

From the doorstep, Little Red Riding Hood called, “Grandmother! I need help!” Her grandmother heard from the garden and came straight over.

A friendly forester was passing the gate. When he heard the call, he came with Grandmother. “We’re here,” she said, taking the girl’s hand.

The wolf saw that his trick had failed. He climbed out of bed, left the cap and glasses on the chair and hurried through the door. Nobody chased him; he went back into the woods.

Grandmother held Little Red Riding Hood close. “You noticed something was wrong and asked for help,” she said. The girl took a deep breath. Her grandmother was safe, and so was she.

Soon Mother arrived for her visit, and Little Red Riding Hood told her everything. “Thank you for telling us,” Mother said. “You can always ask us for help.”

They put the three flowers in a little vase and carried the basket to the garden table. Grandmother sliced the bread, and Mother opened the jar of jam.

Little Red Riding Hood sat between them. The mint smelled sweet, a butterfly floated past, and the garden felt peaceful again.

When it was time to go home, Mother and the girl walked along the woodland path together. The empty basket swung between them, and Grandmother waved from her gate.