Once upon a time, there was a little girl in a village, the prettiest anyone had ever seen; her mother was madly in love with her, and her grandmother even more so. This kind woman had ordered a red hood to be made for her, and it suited her so well that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.

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

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

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

As she passed through a forest, she met the big bad wolf, who had a strong desire to eat her, but didn't dare because there were some woodcutters nearby. He asked her where she was going. The poor girl, who didn’t know it was dangerous to stop and speak with a wolf, said:

"I’m going to see my grandmother, and I’m bringing her a cake and a jar of butter that my mother sent her."       "Is it far?" asked the wolf.

"Oh yes!" replied Little Red Riding Hood. "Beyond the mill you can see far in the distance, in the first little house of the village."

"Well then," said the wolf, "I’ll go to see her too; I’ll take this path, and you take that one, and let’s see who gets there first."

The wolf ran off at full speed down the shorter path, and the girl took the longer one, stopping to pick hazelnuts, chase butterflies, and make little bouquets with the flowers she found. It didn’t take long for the wolf to reach the grandmother’s house, and he knocked on the door:

"Knock, knock."   "Who’s there?"

"It’s your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood," said the wolf, pretending to speak in her voice, "I’m bringing you a cake and a jar of butter that my mother sent you."

"Throw the latch and the bolt will fall."

The wolf threw the latch, and the door opened. He pounced on the good woman and devoured her in a flash, as it had been more than three days since he had eaten. He quickly closed the door and went to lie down in the grandmother’s bed, waiting for Little Red Riding Hood.

A short time later, Little Red Riding Hood arrived and knocked on the door:

"Knock, knock."    "Who’s there?"

Hearing the wolf’s hoarse voice, Little Red Riding Hood was first frightened, but thinking her grandmother had caught a cold, she replied:

"It’s your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood. I’m bringing you a cake and a jar of butter that my mother sent you."

"Throw the latch and the bolt will fall."

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

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

"Put the cake and the jar of butter on the shelf, and come lie down with me."

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

"They’re to hug you better, my dear."

"Grandmother, what big arms you have!"

"Grandmother, what big legs you have!"

"Grandmother, what big ears you have!"

"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!

"They’re to run better, my dear."

"They’re to hear better, my dear."

"They’re to see better, my dear."

"Grandmother, what big teeth you have!"

"To eat you better!"

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

Here we see that adolescence, especially young ladies, well-formed, kind, and beautiful, should not listen to just anyone with pleasure. It is no wonder that many of them fall prey to the wolf. And I say the wolf, for not all of them are of the same nature: there are some with great skill, silent, without hatred or bitterness,

THE END

who patiently and sweetly follow the young ladies to their houses and through the alleyways; yet we well know that the flatterers among all the wolves are, alas, the fiercest.