“Little Red-Riding-Hood.” The Fairy Book, Dinah Maria Mulock, New York: Mayflower Books, 1979, pp. 134-136.

Tale Summary

There was once a pretty little village maiden who was very loved by her mother and her grandmother, who had made for her a little red hood which she wore constantly, earning her the nickname “Little Red-Riding-Hood”. One day, her mother told her that her grandmother was unwell and instructed the girl to bring some little cakes and butter through the forest to her. In the woods, the girl met a wolf, who wanted to eat her but hesitated because of a nearby lumberjack. Instead, he asked her where she was headed, and after she told him the location of her grandmother’s house, he told her that they would race to reach it. He got there very quickly, and on arrival pretended to be Little Red-Riding-Hood so that he was let in, and ate the old woman. The girl took some time to reach the cottage, because she stopped often to look at nature on the way, and by the time she arrived the wolf had hid himself in the old woman’s bed. She heard the gruff voice of the wolf and thought that her grandmother must indeed be very sick. The wolf invited her to bed, and she was astonished to see how different her grandmother looked. She remarked on her great arms, her great ears, her great eyes, and her great mouth, and the wolf ate her up.