Read Time: 8 minutes

Little Red Riding Hood

1. Sent to Grandmother's House

There was once a little girl whose father and mother loved her so dearly that they thought nothing was too good for her. Her mother made for her the prettiest of little dresses; her stockings were of fine yarn, and there were bright buckles on her shoes. Her mother also made for her a little cloak and hood of red cloth, and the little girl looked so pretty in them that her mother called her Little Red Riding-Hood instead of Mary, as she had been christened.

Little Red Riding-Hood had a grandmother who was so old that sometimes she lay in bed all day and felt too weak to get up.

One day her mother called the little girl and said, “My child, I have put some butter and some fresh eggs and a wheatcake in this basket. Take it and carry it to your grandmother. Run along quickly, and do not loiter nor stop to talk to anyone along the way. I want you to get back home before the afternoon is late.”

“Yes, dear mother,” said Little Red Riding-Hood, and she took the basket in her hand and set out for her grandmother’s house, through the forest.

At first she ran along briskly and stopped for nothing. But then she walked through a field full of pretty flowers. “I am sure,” thought Red Riding-Hood “that my grandmother would be glad to have a bunch of daisies and buttercups.”

She began to pick one here and another there until she had a handful of flowers to give to her grandmother.

2. Meeting the Wolf

Then she heard feet stepping along the path, and the old gray wolf came trotting by.

“Good-day, Red Riding-Hood,” said the wolf.

“Good-day,” answered the child.

“And where are you going this fine bright day with your basket on your arm?” asked the wolf.

“Oh, I am going to my grandmother’s house. She is so old that sometimes she lies in bed and cannot get up. And I am taking her some butter and some fresh eggs and a wheaten cake.” said Little Red Riding-Hood.

“And where does your grandmother live?” asked the wolf.

“She lives over beyond the wood in a little white house with a thatched roof and green blinds, and this path runs straight there.”

The wolf had now learned everything he needed. He said goodbye to Red Riding-Hood and trotted on briskly.

As soon as the wolf came into the forest where Red Riding-Hood could not see him he began to run faster. On and on he ran as fast as he could, for he wanted to get to grandmother’s house before Red Riding-Hood did.

3. The Lumberjack Sees The Wolf

In the depths of the forest a lumberjack was busy at his work. He was cutting down trees with his ax. The lumberjack saw the old wolf running by, and he wondered what the wolf was up to. “He’s up to some mischief, and that is sure,” said the lumberjack. And he shouldered his ax and followed on after the wolf to see what he was going to do.

On went Mr. Wolf, and soon he came to the edge of the forest. And there stood the little white house with the thatched roof and green blinds, and the path led straight up to the door. So the wolf knew that must be where Little Red Riding-Hood’s grandmother lived.

He stopped and looked all around him, for he did not want anyone to watch him. He saw no one. However, the lumberjack was hiding behind some rocks, watching the wolf.

Then the wolf knocked at grandmother’s door, rap-tap-tap!

Nobody answered, so he knocked again, rap-tap-tap! Still no one answered. So the wolf pressed his ear to the door, but did not hear a sound inside the house.

The wolf carefully opened the door, and quietly slipped inside grandmother’s house. He looked around, but did not see anybody, for the old grandmother had been feeling stronger that day, so she had dressed and had gone out to see a neighbor.

The old wolf hunted around until he found the grandmother’s bed-gown; then he pulled it on over his big hairy body. He tied on a big ruffled cap on his head. Then he put the grandmother’s spectacles on his nose, and after that he crawled into bed and drew the covers up under his chin.

The lumberjack outside wondered what the wolf was doing in the house, but he did not hear a sound, so he sat down to watch and see what would happen next. And as he was very tired he fell fast asleep.

4. Little Red Riding Hood Arrives At Grandmother's House

It was not long before Little Red Riding-Hood came running along, and she was in a great hurry, for she had spent a long time gathering flowers.

The lumberjack did not see her, however, for he was asleep. The little girl ran up to the door and knocked upon it, rap-tap-tap!

Then the old wolf made his voice very faint and weak to sound like the grandmother’s voice. “Who is there?” he asked.

“It is I, grandmother; Little Red Riding-Hood,” answered the child.

“Open the door and come inside,” said the wolf.

Red Riding-Hood opened the door open and went in.

It was dark in the room, for the wolf had pulled the curtains across the window.

“I am not able to get up, dear child,” said the wolf, still in the same weak voice. “Put your basket on the table and come over here.”

Red Riding-Hood did as she was told. She put the basket on the table and came over to the bedside, but as she came closer she thought her grandmother looked very strange.

“Oh, grandmother, what great big eyes you have,” said she.

“The better to see you, my dear,” answered the wolf.

“But, oh grandmother, what long, long ears you have.”

“The better to hear you, my dear!”

“But, grandmother, what big sharp white teeth you have!”

“The better to eat you!” howled the wolf, and he sprang out of bed and caught Red Riding-Hood by the cloak.

5. The Lumberjack Rescues Little Red Riding Hood

The little girl cried out, but just then the lumberjack burst open the door and rushed in. The howl had awakened him from his sleep, and just in time. He struck the wolf such a blow on the head that it fell down dead.

Then he took Red Riding-Hood up in his arms and comforted her, for she was crying bitterly. She was frightened and her pretty red cloak had been torn. He wiped her eyes, and promised to walk home with her, but first, he said, they must wait until the grandmother came home.

When grandmother came at last, and heard the story and saw the wolf lying there on the floor, she could not thank the lumberjack enough. And indeed, if it had not been for him the little girl would certainly have been eaten by the wolf.