Little Red Riding Hood carried bread and berries to her grandmother. On the forest path, a wolf asked where she was going. Red answered, then stopped to pick flowers. The wolf reached Grandma's cottage first and pretended to be Grandma. When Red arrived, she noticed his big ears and eyes. “And what big teeth!” she cried. A passing woodsman heard her and chased the wolf away. Grandma came out of her hiding place, and the three shared the picnic.
A First Stories tale
Little Red Riding Hood
Slide left for a simpler telling and right for more detail. Your choice carries to the next story.
Open this version in the audiobook shelfRed took a basket to Grandma's house. She walked through the woods and saw a wolf. The wolf hurried ahead and hid in Grandma's bed. Red noticed that Grandma looked different. A kind woodsman heard her call and came to help. Grandma was safe, and Red gave her the basket. They had a cozy visit together.
Little Red Riding Hood carried bread and berries to her grandmother. On the forest path, a wolf asked where she was going. Red answered, then stopped to pick flowers. The wolf reached Grandma's cottage first and pretended to be Grandma. When Red arrived, she noticed his big ears and eyes. “And what big teeth!” she cried. A passing woodsman heard her and chased the wolf away. Grandma came out of her hiding place, and the three shared the picnic.
One morning, Red's mother packed a basket for Grandma and reminded Red to stay on the path. In the woods, a smooth-talking wolf asked about her journey. Red told him about Grandma's cottage, then wandered off to gather flowers. While she searched, the wolf rushed ahead. Grandma saw him coming and hid in a cupboard. The wolf put on her cap and climbed into bed. Red soon arrived. Grandma's ears seemed unusually large; so did her eyes. When Red saw the enormous teeth, she called for help. A woodsman passing by heard her, opened the cottage door, and sent the wolf running. Grandma stepped out of the cupboard. Red was glad to find her safe, and she promised to be more careful about sharing directions with strangers.
Red set out with a basket of fresh bread for her grandmother, who lived beyond the forest. Her mother asked her to keep to the path and go straight there. Red meant to do exactly that. Then a wolf appeared and spoke so politely that she forgot to be cautious. She told him where Grandma lived. The wolf suggested that Grandma might enjoy flowers, and Red wandered among the trees to gather some.
The wolf took the shorter route. Grandma spotted him at the window and hid inside a cupboard before he entered. Finding the cottage empty, he borrowed her cap and waited beneath the bedcovers. When Red arrived, she was puzzled by the figure in bed. The ears, eyes, and teeth were all much larger than she remembered. At the sight of those teeth, she shouted. A woodsman working nearby came at once, and the startled wolf fled into the forest. Grandma emerged, relieved but cross with the wolf. Over bread and tea, Red told her what had happened. She had learned that a friendly voice was no reason to give a stranger someone's address.
The basket was not heavy, but Red carried it carefully: her mother had packed a loaf, butter, and berries for Grandma. Before Red left, her mother reminded her to follow the marked forest path. Halfway through the woods, Red met a wolf whose manners seemed almost as tidy as his fur. He asked after her destination, and she answered before considering why he wanted to know.
“Flowers would brighten a sickroom,” the wolf observed. Red agreed. While she searched for a bouquet, he slipped along a narrow shortcut to Grandma's cottage. Grandma caught sight of him through the window and tucked herself into a cupboard. He entered, found her cap, and pulled the bedcovers up to his nose.
Red arrived later than planned. Something about Grandma's voice sounded rough, but she stepped closer. She noticed the large ears and watchful eyes; finally, the teeth gave the disguise away. Red called out. A nearby woodsman heard her, hurried in, and drove the wolf from the cottage. Grandma emerged from the cupboard, quite safe. Their visit went on, although the flowers were rather crushed. Red understood that politeness and trust are different things: the wolf had sounded pleasant, yet he had used every detail she gave him.
Inspired by Grimm's Fairy Tales. This text is a new adaptation.