Once upon a time, in a little town on the edge of a forest, there lived a little girl who was lovingly called Little Red Riding Hood.
She got this nickname because of the lovely, flowing red-hooded cape that her grandma had specially stitched for her on her birthday. Little Red Riding Hood loved her grandma, who lived across the forest on the other side.
Little Red Riding Hood used to love spending time with her grandma, who visited regularly.
A few days had passed since grandma's last visit. And Little Red Riding Hood was wondering why grandma had not visited for the past few days. She asked her mother, "Mother, why has grandma not come over for a visit in so many days? Is she keeping very busy nowadays?"
Her mother smiled lovingly and replied, "No my little girl. Grandma is not actually busy. She is under the weather and not keeping very well." She continued, "I have an idea. Why don't you go visit her tomorrow? Carry a basket of her favourite food items with you as well. That will surely cheer her up!"
Little Red Riding Hood loved the idea! She was excited for going by herself and surprising grandma with a basket full of her favourite food!
The next day, Little Red Riding Hood work up early and got ready to go over to grandma's house. She decided to wear the red-hooded cape that grandma had made for her, thinking that would surely make grandma feel even better. Mother had packed a basket of food and kept it ready.
Little Red Riding Hood said goodbye to her mother and set off on her journey across the forest with the basket of food. She loved nature and loved the greenery of the forest. She strolled along, enjoying the sounds of the forest, the chirps of birds and the soft rustle of trees in the gentle breeze.
But she was not alone.
A wolf had picked up her scent and the scent of the food she was carrying. The wolf had tracked her scent and finally spotted her as he hid behind a tree, out of Little Red Riding Hood's sight. She had no idea that he was watching her.
Casually, the wolf stepped out from behind the tree and called out to Little Red Riding Hood.
"Hello there! How wonderful to have a visitor pass through our forest! What brings you out here today?" enquired the wolf.
Little Red Riding Hood was startled and stopped in her tracks. She just stared at the wolf and did not move a muscle.
The wolf continued, "Don't be afraid little girl. I just wanted to say hello! Where are you off to?" The wolf did not want to scare her into running away.
Since the wolf did not rush at her, Little Red Riding Hood relaxed a bit. She said, "I am going to my grandma's house to give her some food. She lives at the edge of the forest just at the end of this path."
The wolf thought, why not have a meal of two humans instead of just one? He hatched a quick plan. He said, "Oh that sounds wonderful. I myself am on my way to pluck some berries from the forest. You have a nice day now. Bye!" And the wolf pretended to walk the other way into the forest.
In reality, the wolf once again hid behind a tree and waited for Little Red Riding Hood to keep going on her path towards her grandma's house.
He then rushed ahead through another route and found a little cottage at the end of the path on the edge of the forest. Little Red Riding Hood was no where close and probably still within the forest on her way to the cottage.
Pretty confident that this had to be the grandma's house, the wolf gently knocked on the door. A voice responded from within, "Who is it?"
The wolf thought for a moment, and distorted his voice a bit to sound like a young girl, "It's me, grandma! I have some food for you!"
Grandma replied, "Oh it's you, my Little Red Riding Hood! Why does your voice sound a bit off?" The wolf replied, "Oh grandma, that's probably because I might be catching a cold myself."
Grandma said, "Oh dear! Well, the door is not locked. You can come in."
Without a moment's notice, the wolf pushed the door open and rushed in! Grandma, who was in her bed resting, jumped out and went out through the back door in the kitchen. She hastily rushed and locked herself inside the tool shed at the back of the house.
The wolf was frustrated. But then he thought of Little Red Riding Hood who would be reaching any minute. He quickly took some of grandma's clothes from the cupboard and dressed up like her, covering his head with a big cap and wearing big spectacles to camouflage his face. He jumped into bed and pulled the covers up till his nose to try and cover his face.
Little Red Riding Hood reached a few moments later and knocked on the door. The wolf wanted to waste no time. He said in a voice pretending to be her grandma's. "Who is it?"
Little Red Riding Hood replied, "It's me, grandma! Little Red Riding Hood! You do sound really unwell.... I am here with some of your favourite food!"
The wolf said, "Well, come in then my Little Red Riding Hood!"
Little Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and looked at the bed.
She said, "Hi grandma. How are you feeling? What big eyes you seem to have, grandma!"
The wolf replied, "All the better to see you with, my dear!"
She said, "What big ears you seem to have, grandma!"
The wolf replied, "All the better to hear you with, my dear!"
She said, "What big teeth you seem to have, grandma!"
The wolf replied, "All the better to.......... EAT YOU WITH!"
And the wolf lunged out of bed and dashed towards Little Red Riding Hood! She quickly ran out of the house and shut the door! She heard her grandma making noise inside the tool shed nearby and ran towards it. Grandma quickly opened the door and let Little Red Riding Hood in and locked the door from inside again!
Little Red Riding Hood and grandma started shouting loudly for help as the wolf managed to come out of the house and started scratching the door to the tool shed!
Amidst all this commotion, a woodcutter nearby heard the ruckus and came running towards the cottage. The moment he noticed the wolf and the shouts for help coming from within the tool shed, he knew what was happening.
The woodcutter ran towards the wolf, shouting with his axe raised in one hand, "Aaaaaaaaaa...."
The moment the wolf heard and saw the woodcutter running towards him with an axe, he got scared and ran back towards the forest, never to be seen again.
Little Red Riding Hood and grandma finally came out of the tool shed and looked around carefully. The woodcutter said, "Nothing more to worry, ladies! The wolf ran away and will not trouble you again!"
Little Red Riding Hood and grandma thanked the woodcutter profusely.
Little Red Riding Hood decided that she would never walk across the forest alone and would always be very careful of talking to any strangers.
To show their gratitude, grandma invited the woodcutter to join her and Little Red Riding Hood for some tea and cakes. The three of them enjoyed the snacks and treats that Little Red Riding Hood had brought along.
Little Red Riding Hood stayed back with her grandma till her father came over to pick her up and take her home with him.
The End.
Written by Sujata Ayer
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