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Charles Perrault
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little
country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen. Her mother
was excessively fond of her; and her grandmother doted on her still
more. This good woman had a little red riding hood made for her. It
suited the girl so extremely well that everybody called her Little
Red Riding Hood.
One day her mother, having made some cakes, said to her, "Go, my
dear, and see how your grandmother is doing, for I hear she has been
very ill. Take her a cake, and this little pot of butter."
Little Red Riding Hood set out immediately to go to her grandmother,
who lived in another village.
As she was going through the wood, she met with a wolf, who had a
very great mind to eat her up, but he dared not, because of some
woodcutters working nearby in the forest. He asked her where she was
going. The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to
stay and talk to a wolf, said to him, "I am going to see my
grandmother and carry her a cake and a little pot of butter from my
mother."
"Does she live far off?" said the wolf
"Oh I say," answered Little Red Riding Hood; "it is beyond that mill
you see there, at the first house in the village."
"Well," said the wolf, "and I'll go and see her too. I'll go this
way and go you that, and we shall see who will be there first."
The wolf ran as fast as he could, taking the shortest path, and the
little girl took a roundabout way, entertaining herself by gathering
nuts, running after butterflies, and gathering bouquets of little
flowers. It was not long before the wolf arrived at the old woman's
house. He knocked at the door: tap, tap.
"Who's there?"
"Your grandchild, Little Red Riding Hood," replied the wolf,
counterfeiting her voice; "who has brought you a cake and a little
pot of butter sent you by mother."
The good grandmother, who was in bed, because she was somewhat ill,
cried out, "Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."
The wolf pulled the bobbin, and the door opened, and then he
immediately fell upon the good woman and ate her up in a moment, for
it been more than three days since he had eaten. He then shut the
door and got into the grandmother's bed, expecting Little Red Riding
Hood, who came some time afterwards and knocked at the door: tap,
tap.
"Who's there?"
Little Red Riding Hood, hearing the big voice of the wolf, was at
first afraid; but believing her grandmother had a cold and was
hoarse, answered, "It is your grandchild Little Red Riding Hood, who
has brought you a cake and a little pot of butter mother sends you."
The wolf cried out to her, softening his voice as much as he could,
"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."
Little Red Riding Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened.
The wolf, seeing her come in, said to her, hiding himself under the
bedclothes, "Put the cake and the little pot of butter upon the
stool, and come get into bed with me."
Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes and got into bed. She
was greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her
nightclothes, and 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 child."
"Grandmother, what big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear with, my child."
"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see with, my child."
"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"
"All the better to eat you up with."
And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red
Riding Hood, and ate her all up. Source: Andrew Lang, The Blue
Fairy Book (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., ca. 1889), pp. 64-71. |
