One day, her mother, having baked some cakes, said to her:

—Go see how your grandmother is doing, as I’ve heard she has been ill. Take her a cake and this little jar of butter.

Little Red Riding Hood immediately set off to visit her grandmother, who lived in another village.

As she passed through the forest, she met her friend, the wolf, who had a great desire to eat her but did not dare because some woodcutters were nearby. He asked her where she was going. The poor girl, who did not know it was dangerous to stop and talk to a wolf, said:

“I am going to see my grandmother, and I am bringing her a cake and a little jar of butter that my mother is sending her.”

“Does she live far away?” asked the wolf.

“Oh, yes!” said Little Red Riding Hood. “Beyond the mill you see over there, in the first house of the village.”

“Well then,” said the wolf, “I also want to visit her. I will take this path, and you take that one, and we will see who arrives first.”

The wolf ran as fast as he could along the shorter path, while the girl took the longer one, amusing herself by picking hazelnuts, chasing butterflies, and making bouquets with the little flowers she found.

The wolf soon arrived at the grandmother’s house and knocked on the door:

Knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

“I am your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood,” said the wolf, disguising his voice. “I bring you a cake and a little jar of butter that my mother is sending you.”

The kind grandmother, who was in bed because she was not feeling well, called out:

“Lift the latch, and the bolt will fall.”

The wolf lifted the latch, and the door opened. He threw himself upon the poor woman and devoured her in an instant, for he had not eaten in more than three days. Then he closed the door and lay down in the grandmother’s bed, waiting for Little Red Riding Hood.

A little while later, she arrived and knocked on the door:

Knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

Little Red Riding Hood, upon hearing the wolf’s hoarse voice, was at first afraid, but thinking her grandmother had a cold, she answered:

“It is your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood. I bring you a cake and a little jar of butter that my mother is sending you.”

The wolf, softening his voice a little, called out:

“Lift the latch, and the bolt will fall.”

Little Red Riding Hood lifted the latch, and the door opened.

Seeing her enter, the wolf said, while hiding under the covers in the bed:

“Leave the cake and the little jar of butter on the shelf and come lie down with me.”

Little Red Riding Hood undressed and got into bed, and she was very surprised to see the shape of her grandmother in a nightgown. She said:

“Grandmother, what big arms you have!”

“They are to hug you better, my dear.”

“Grandmother, what big legs you have!”

“They are to run better, my dear.”

“Grandmother, what big ears you have!”

“They are to hear better, my dear.”

“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”

“They are to see better, my dear.”

“Grandmother, what big teeth you have!”

“To eat you better!”

And saying these words, the big bad wolf pounced on Little Red Riding Hood and ate her up.

Moral

Here we see that adolescence,

especially young ladies fair,

graceful, kind, beyond compare,

should not just listen to anyone with confidence.

And it should come as no surprise

that many fall to the wolf’s disguise.

And when I say “wolf,” take heed—

not all are of the same degree.