The Story —
Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone, but most of all by her grandmother and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once grandmother gave her a red cape, which made the little girl feel strong and powerful. She loved it so much that everyone called her Little Red Riding
Hood.
Little Red’s younger brother was a mischievous rascal who loved wolves. He enjoyed sneaking up and scaring his older sister. One day, in between her brother’s taunting, Little Red’s mother said, “Come children, here is a loaf of bread; take it to your grandmother it will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the path, or you may fall and squash the bread, and then your grandmother will get nothing”.
“May I take my pointe shoes to show Grandmother the solo that I’ve been practicing so hard?” asked Little Red. “Of course darling, would you like to practice one more
time for me?” asked mother. “Yes” said Little Red, so mother and little brother sat down to watch. She loved ballet so much that she continued dancing as she left for
grandmothers. Her mother reminded both children to be careful and waved them goodbye.
Grandmother lived out in the woods, about an hours walk from the village. On their journey her little brother was up to his usual naughty self and he continued scaring Little Red from behind the trees. Little Red used her imagination to make her brother disappear and the path became a beautiful stage where she could continue dancing.
A wolf mysteriously appeared. At first, Little Red was afraid of him but as they spoke she began to enjoy his company.
“Good day, Little Red Riding Hood,” said he.
“Thank you kindly, wolf”
“Where do you go so early, Little Red Riding Hood?”
“To my Grandmothers.”
“What have you got in your basket?”
“Cake and wine so poor sick Grandmother is to have something good, to make her stronger.”
“Where does your Grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood?”
“A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood” replied Little Red.
Little Red asked the wolf if he’d like to learn ballet, but all he could think about was the food in her basket. Then Little Red helped the hungry wolf with some of her dance moves but his clumsy pointe work just made him feel silly.“See Little Red Riding Hood, how pretty the flowers are about here – why don't you look around? I believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing; you walk gravely along as if you were going to school, while everything else out here in the woods is merry.”
Little Red raised her eyes, and when she saw the sunbeams dancing here and there through the trees, and pretty flowers growing everywhere, she thought; “suppose I
take grandmother a fresh nosegay; that would please her too. It is so early in the day that I shall still get there in good time,” and so she ran from the path into the wood
to look for flowers.
The wolf had tricked Little Red so he could snatch the food from her basket but Little Red hadn’t run very far when she heard the chewing of bread. She quickly returned and yelled at the wolf for stealing grandmother's food. He scurried away howling with his tail between his legs.
When Little Red arrived at grandmother’s she was surprised to find the cottage door standing open, and when she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling
that she said to herself, “Oh dear! Something doesn’t feel quite right.” She called out, “Good morning,” but received no answer. So she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange.
“Oh! Grandmother,” she said, “what big ears you have!”
“All the better to hear you with, my child,” was the reply.
“But Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” she said.
“All the better to see you with, my dear.”
“Oh! But, Grandmother, what terrible big teeth you have!”
“All the better to eat you with!”
And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of bed with an open mouth ready to gobble up Little Red. At first Little Red was very scared but she
remembered how strong and powerful she could be. Little Red stood up to the Wolf and defeated him in the fight of her life.
Grandmotherwas in the bathroom when she heard a kafuffle. “What on earth is going on?” Asked Grandma as she entered the bedroom? “I’m fighting off the wolf Grandmother!” answered Little Red. “Help Grandmother!” yelped little brother. Little Red looked down and saw that she was wrestling her little brother with no evidence of a wolf at all! This made everyone laugh and so Little Red started tickling him. Little Red then tried to tell Grandma all about the misbehaved wolf as Grandmother sat down to enjoy the goodies Little Red and little brother brought her.