Adam and Little Red - Collins Big Cat

1 New job Adam was proud and϶excited. It϶was his first day at his new summer϶job. He’d been told to chop down trees for firewood, on the϶far side of the϶forest by the϶loch.

As he walked up the϶path towards the϶tree line, he made sure that his axe was securely strapped to his back, his mobile phone was tucked in his pocket and that he had the϶lunchbox his dad had packed for϶him.

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The϶forest was dark, oddly cold and϶silent. It϶felt different from previous visits when it had been full of sunshine and϶birdsong.

Adam had grown up hearing fairy tales about the϶odd things that happened in magical϶forests. He϶shivered.

Of course, he knew that fairy tales weren’t real, but he was worried about encountering a϶creature the϶stories often featured – a϶hungry϶wolf.

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Uncle Hamish had planted that worry in his϶head.

He’d϶told them that a϶wolf had been spotted near the϶forest. According϶to him, the϶two forest rangers who’d϶seen it had been scared out of their϶wits.

Adam’s dad had chuckled and told Hamish that wolves were extinct in Scotland, but he’d refused to϶listen.

“Mind how ye go, Adam,” he’d϶warned.

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Suddenly anxious, Adam tried to text his mum, but weirdly, his phone wouldn’t϶work. The϶entrance to the϶forest was close by so Adam retraced his϶footsteps.

As϶he stepped out into the϶sunshine, his phone whooshed as his message went, then instantly pinged with Mum’s϶reply.

Hey Mum, tell me about that wolf Uncle϶H϶mentioned?

Och, don’t mind϶him.

Those϶rangers probably just saw a϶big dog or a϶shadow and϶panicked.

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The϶message made Adam feel϶better.

You’re a϶woodcutter. You even have an϶axe! he϶told϶himself.

You’re not scared of any϶wolf. Particularly϶one that doesn’t϶exist!

He looked down at himself and϶winced. He϶wasn’t all that big, and he wasn’t strong at϶all. But϶he was smart, and good at climbing trees – he’d be all right … probably …

Raising his chin, he marched into the϶forest϶again.

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2 Meeting Red Just in case, though, Adam unstrapped his axe and looked for any signs of a϶wolf as he϶went. The϶trees swished in the϶breeze but otherwise the϶odd silence blanketed the϶forest.

Which was why, when a϶cheery voice suddenly wished him, “Good϶morning!” Adam nearly dropped his axe on his϶foot.

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Whirling around, he saw a϶girl. She϶had a϶covered basket on her arm and was wearing a϶hooded red cape, and matching ribbons in her϶hair. There϶was a϶book at home, with a϶girl exactly like that on the϶cover.

“You look just like … Little Red Riding϶Hood!”

Adam϶blurted.

The϶girl laughed and spun϶around. “Ooh, what a϶great϶nickname!” she϶said. “I’m glad I϶put this on today instead of my dirty grey϶pinny!”

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Closing his eyes, Adam told himself, You’re imagining things, but when he opened them again, she was still϶there.

“You can call me Red,” she϶said. Reaching϶into her basket, she offered him a϶jam϶tart.

“Don’t tell me,” said Adam, “you’re taking those goodies to your϶grandma.”

Red϶nodded. “Yes. She’s϶poorly. Do϶you know϶her?

She϶lives in a϶cottage in this϶forest.”

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