Red Riding Hood

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LAUGHING ELEPHANT 3645 INTERLAKE AVENUE NORTH SEATTLE, WA 98103

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ISBN/EAN: 9781595831330

LAUGHING ELEPHANT MMXVIII •

Many years ago, there lived an industrious woodman

and his wife, and one little girl named Rosie.

Rosie was a very pretty little child, and so bright and so

merry that no one could help loving her.

She was a favorite because of her sweet disposition.

Even her old grandmother, who was rather cross, and not as a rule fond of children, made quite a pet of Rosie.

Dear old Grannie, as she was called by her grand daughter,

lived in a rustic cottage about a mile from the village, but fine or wet, scarcely a day passed without seeing the little maiden sitting on a stool in the old lady’s cottage, listening to the wonderful stories which Grannie said had happened long ago, when she was a little girl.

When Rosie’s birthday came, her grandmother gave her

a pretty red cloak with a hood of the same color. The bright hue pleased the child, and she put the cloak on at once, looking prettier than ever, and Grannie did smile as the little mite peeped on tiptoe to get a good view of herself in the glass.

She certainly did make a pretty picture.

Rosie grew so fond of her pretty red cloak that

she always wore it, and the neighbors gave her the name of Little Red Riding Hood.

I have told you what an engaging child Red Riding

Hood was, but, like all children, she had her faults, and one of these was a bad habit of inattention.

Without meaning to be disobedient, she some-

times got into scrapes by only half listening, while her mother was speaking to her.

One day her Grannie was taken very ill, and after

that Little Red Riding Hood’s mother used to go to her house very often with nice things for her. But one day it happened that she was not able to make her usual visit, so Little Red Riding Hood’s mother called to her, saying: “I am too busy to go to see Grannie, so I want you to take her some wine, soup, fresh butter and new laid eggs. Go at once, and be sure you do not talk to anyone you may meet. Do not dawdle on the way, for Grannie will be glad to see you and you must be back before sunset.”

Rosie only half listened to what

her mother said, and having put on her red cloak, she went away with a big basket on her arm, thinking how delightful a scamper, through the woods, with her little dog, would be.

On her way she came across an old wood-

man, taking a rest, who warned her not to stray in the woods for fear of the wolves which infested the neighborhood.

It so happened that a wicked Wolf over-

heard these remarks, and trotted off smiling, and thinking of how he could entrap Little Red Riding Hood.

It was a most beautiful day, and Rosie, quite

forgetful of her mother’s wishes, loitered about, and was very much taken with a hare she saw sitting up and washing its face, but which, when it saw the dog, was soon off.

A little farther on she

saw a pretty little brighteyed squirrel cracking a nut on the bough of a tree.

She ran about where all the prettiest

flowers were growing, and gathered a lovely bouquet for her Grandmother.

When she was tired of running about

and swinging on the branches, she sat down to rest, and then the sly old Wolf came up and began to talk in a friendly manner.

Rosie told him she was going to see her

Grandmother, who lived “in the Red Cottage close to the village.”

“Let’s have a race,” said the Wolf, “you go that way and I’ll go this way, and see who can get there first, as I am going quite close to there.”

Red Riding Hood thought that would be very

good fun, so she and the Wolf started off by different paths.

As soon as Red Riding Hood was out of sight,

the Wolf set off at a tremendous rate, and running with all his might, he very soon arrived at Grannie’s cottage, which he recognized from the description Red Riding Hood had given.

He knocked gently at the door.

“Who’s there?” said Grandmother.

“It’s I, Grannie dear,” said the cunning Wolf, making his voice as like Red Riding Hood’s as he could.

“Pull the bobbin, and that will lift the latch my dear,” said Grannie.

The Wolf did so, and opened the door.

The poor old lady was lying helpless and ill in bed, and the cruel Wolf no sooner caught sight of her than he made a spring and ate her up in two mouthfuls.

Then the crafty animal dressed himself up in

poor Grannie’s things, admired himself in the glass, chuckled, and got into bed, pulling the sheets around his neck.

When the Wolf left Red Riding Hood, the little

girl too set off briskly, but she soon began to dawdle again, and time passed quickly as she loitered on the road, picking more flowers.

The consequence was that she did

not arrive at her grandmother’s cottage until a good hour after the Wolf, thus giving him plenty of time to completely disguise himself.

As Red Riding Hood came to the cot-

tage door, a voice from inside cried: “Is that my dear Grandchild?”

“Yes, Grannie.”

“Pull the bobbin and lift the latch, my dear,” said the Wolf, imitating Grannie’s voice as much as possible.

She did this, going in on tiptoe lest she should disturb

Grannie and make her worse.

“Poor Grannie,” said Red Riding Hood, “what a bad cold you have. I have brought you some soup to make you better. Shall I make some hot for you at once?”

“Thank you my dear,” said the Wolf in

a weak voice, “but I like you better than soup.”

Red Riding Hood bustled about preparing her Grandmother’s supper. At last she drew near the bed and noticed for the first time how very strange her Grandmother looked.

“What large eyes you have, Grannie,” said the child.

“The better to see you, my dear, said the Wolf, with a grin.

“And Grannie, how long your ears have grown.”

“The better to hear you, my dear.”

“And, oh Grannie, what sharp white teeth you have!”

“The better to eat you,” cried the Wolf,

and he jumped out of the bed, and sprang upon the terrified child.

But just at that moment a dog’s bark

was heard; the door burst open, and in rushed the old woodman, whose attention had been attracted by the little dog’s frantic barking.

The cowardly Wolf let go his hold of Red

Riding Hood, and tried to make his escape, but the woodman set upon him and soon killed him.

As for Little Red Riding Hood, she was

more frightened than hurt.

The woodman carried her home to her mother, a very repentant little girl.

She had learned a lesson which she never forgot, and,

after this, when she saw any children inclined to be disobedient, she told them, as a warning, her own story of “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.”

LAUGHING

ELEP

HANT

COPYRIGHT © 2007 , LAUGHING ELEPHANT

ISBN/EAN: 9781595831330 THIS PRODUCT CONFORMS TO CPSIA 2008 FOURTH PRINTING • PRINTED IN CHINA • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THIS IS A REPRINT OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED BY DEAN & SONS, LTD, CIRCA 1910.

LAUGHING ELEPHANT 3645 INTERLAKE AVENUE NORTH SEATTLE, WA 98103 LAUGHINGELEPHANT. COM

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LAUGHING ELEPHANT 3645 INTERLAKE AVENUE NORTH SEATTLE, WA 98103

LAUGHINGELEPHANT.COM

ISBN/EAN: 9781595831330