Once upon a time, deep in the heart of the country, there lived a pretty little girl whose mother adored her, and her grandmother adored her even more. This good woman made her a red hood like the ones that fine ladies wear when they go riding. The hood suited the child so much that soon everybody was calling her Little Red Riding Hood.
One day, her mother baked some cakes on the griddle and said to Little Red Riding Hood:
‘Your granny is sick; you must go and visit her. Take her one of these cakes and a little pot of butter.’
Little Red Riding Hood went off to the next village to visit her grandmother. As she walked through the wood, she met a wolf, who wanted to eat her but did not dare to because there were woodcutters working nearby. He asked her where she was going. The poor child did not know how dangerous it is to chatter away to wolves and replied innocently:
‘I’m going to visit my grandmother to take her this cake and this little pot of butter from my mother.’
‘Does your grandmother live far away?’ asked the wolf.
‘Oh, yes,’ said Little Red Riding Hood. ‘She lives beyond the mill you can see over there, in the first house you come to in the village.’
‘Well, I shall go and visit her, too,’ said the wolf. ‘I will take this road and you shall take that road and let’s see who can get there first.’
The wolf ran off by the shortest path and Red Riding Hood went off the longest way and she made it still longer because she dawdled along, gathering nuts and chasing butterflies and picking bunches of wayside flowers.
The wolf soon arrived at Grandmother’s house. He knocked on the door, rat tat tat.
‘Who’s there?’
‘Your grand-daughter, Little Red Riding Hood,’ said the wolf, disguising his voice. ‘I’ve brought you a cake baked on the griddle and a little pot of butter from my mother.’
Grandmother was lying in bed because she was poorly. She called out:
‘Lift up the latch and walk in!’
The wolf lifted the latch and opened the door. He had not eaten for three days. He threw himself on the good woman and gobbled her up. Then he closed the door behind him and lay down in Grandmother’s bed to wait for Little Red Riding Hood. At last she came knocking on the door, rat tat tat.
‘Who’s there?’
Little Red Riding Hood heard the hoarse voice of the wolf and thought that her grandmother must have caught a cold. She answered:
‘It’s your grand-daughter, Little Red Riding Hood. I’ve brought you a cake baked on the griddle and a little pot of butter from my mother.’
The wolf disguised his voice and said:
‘Lift up the latch and walk in.’
Little Red Riding Hood lifted the latch and opened the door.
When the wolf saw her come in, he hid himself under the bedclothes and said to her:
‘Put the cake and the butter down on the bread-bin and come and lie down with me.’
Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes and went to lie down in the bed. She was surprised to see how odd her grandmother looked. She said to her:
‘Grandmother, what big arms you have!’
‘All the better to hold you with, my dear.’
‘Grandmother, what big legs you have!’
‘All the better to run with, my dear.’
‘Grandmother, what big ears you have!’
‘All the better to hear with, my dear.’
‘Grandmother, what big eyes you have!’
‘All the better to see with, my dear!’
‘Grandmother, what big teeth you have!’
‘All the better to eat you up!’
At that, the wicked wolf threw himself upon Little Red Riding Hood and gobbled her up, too.
Children, especially pretty, nicely brought-up young ladies, ought never to talk to strangers; if they are foolish enough to do so, they should not be surprised if some greedy wolf consumes them, elegant red riding hoods and all.
Now, there are real wolves, with hairy pelts and enormous teeth; but also wolves who seem perfectly charming, sweet-natured and obliging, who pursue young girls in the street and pay them the most flattering attentions.
Unfortunately, these smooth-tongued, smooth-pelted wolves are the most dangerous beasts of all.