Little Red Riding Hood

by Charles Perrault

Once upon a time, deep in the heart of the country, there lived in a certain village the prettiest little girl who was ever seen. Whose mother adored her and her grandmother adored her still more. This good woman made for her a little red riding hood like the ones fine ladies wear when they go riding. The hood suited the girl so extremely well that 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 grandmother is sick. You must visit her and see how she is doing. Take her one of these cakes and that little pot of butter."

Little Red Riding Hood set off to the neighboring village to visit her grandmother. As she walked through the wood, she met with a wolf, who wanted to eat her up, but did not dare to because of some woodcutters working nearby in the forest. He asked her where she was going. The poor child did not know how dangerous it is to stay and talk to wolves and replied innocently.

"I am going to visit my grandmother and give her this cake and this little pot of butter from my mother."

"Does she your grandmother live far off?" said the wolf.

"Oh yes," answered Little Red Riding Hood; "She lives beyond that mill you see over there, in the first house you come to in the village."

"Well," said the wolf, "I shall go and visit her too. I will take this road and you can take that road and let’s see who can get there first."

The wolf ran as fast as he could along the shortest path and Little Red Riding Hood took the longer way and made it longer because she dawdled by gathering nuts, chasing butterflies, and gathering bouquets of wayside flowers. Pretty soon the wolf arrived at grandmother’s house. He knocked on the door: rat, tat, tat.

"Who's there?"

"Your granddaughter - Little Red Riding Hood." replied the wolf, disguising his voice. "I have 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 ill. She called out, "Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."

The wolf pulled the bobbin and the door opened. He had not eaten for three days so he immediately fell upon the good woman and gobbled her up in an instant. Then he closed the door and got into the grandmother's bed to wait for Little Red Riding Hood. At last she came and knocked on the door: rat tat tat.

"Who's there?"

Little Red Riding Hood, heard the hoarse voice of the wolf and thought her grandmother had a cold and was hoarse. She answered.

"It is your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood, I have brought you a cake baked on the griddle and a little pot of butter from my mother."

The wolf disguised his voice, as much as he could and said.

"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."

Little Red Riding Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened.

When the wolf saw her come in he hid himself under the bedclothes and said to her.

"Put the cake and the little pot of butter down in the bread bin and come and get into bed with me."

Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes and got into bed. She was greatly surprised to see how odd her grandmother looked in her nightclothes. She said to her.

"Grandmother, what big arms you have!"
"All the better to hug 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."

And, saying these words, the wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and gobbled her up.

Moral:

Children, especially pretty, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they are foolish enough to do so, they should not be surprised if they become dinner for a greedy wolf - elegant red riding hood and all.
There are real wolves with hairy pelts and enormous teeth, but there are also wolves who seem perfectly charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young girls at home and in the streets and pay them the most flattering attentions. Unfortunately, these smooth tongued, smooth pelted gentle wolves are the most dangerous beasts of all.

Characteristics

Objects - Red Riding hood, cake and little pot of butter

Sexual component - undressing before coming to bed

Red Riding Hood - foolish and gets eaten

Wolf - ruthless predator

Grandmother -

Woodcutters -

Written moral