Little Red Riding Hood
Retold by Rohini Chowdhury
Long, long time ago, in a little village at the edge of a forest, there lived a little girl with her mother and her father. This little girl was the sweetest, kindest child there ever was. She was always dressed in a pretty red cloak and hood that her mother had made for her, so that everyone began calling her Little Red Riding Hood.
One day Little Red Riding Hood's mother called her and said, 'Daughter, your grandmother is very ill. Please take her this pot of butter and some custard that I have made.' 'Very well, Mother,' said Little Red Riding Hood, and ran to get her little basket for the custard and the butter. 'Be careful,' said her mother, kissing her. 'Don't stray from the path, don't stop on the way, and don't speak to any strangers.'
Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother lived all by herself in a little cottage on the other side of the forest. Little Red Riding Hood had been through the forest alone many times, and knew her way. So she wasn't frightened at all. She skipped merrily along the forest path, enjoying the bright sunshine, the blue sky and the birds singing in the trees.
But suddenly, whom should she meet but a Wolf. 'Hello, little girl,' said the Wolf in his nicest voice. 'Where are you going this bright spring day?'
Little Red Riding Hood was feeling so happy and cheerful that she forgot all that her mother had said to her about not speaking to strangers. She smiled at the Wolf and replied in her politest voice, 'Hello to you as well, Mr. Wolf. I am going to see my Grandma, who lives on the other side of this forest. She isn't feeling very well today, so I am taking her some custard and a pot of butter. Maybe that will cheer her up.'
'Oh dear,' said the Wolf, still in his nicest voice. 'How very sad your Grandma isn't feeling too well! I shall go and visit her as well. I am sure she will feel much better if I do!'
'Oh thank you, Mr. Wolf,' said Red Riding Hood. 'That is so kind and thoughtful of you.'
'Well, let's hurry then, 'said the Wolf. 'You go this way, and I'll go the other way, and let's see who reaches your Grandma first!' So saying the Wolf vanished into the forest. He ran as fast as he could and took all the shortcuts he knew so as to reach Grandma's little cottage before Red Riding Hood.
He arrived at the cottage, huffing and panting, but very pleased that he had beaten Little Red Riding Hood to it.
The Wolf knocked at the door of Grandma's cottage with a gentle tap-tap.
'Who is it?' called Grandma from within.
Roald Dahl, Revolting Rhymes
Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
As soon as Wolf began to feel
That he would like a decent meal,
He went and knocked on Grandma's door.
When Grandma opened it, she saw
The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin,
And Wolfie said, ``May I come in?''
Poor Grandmamma was terrified,
``He's going to eat me up!'' she cried.
And she was absolutely right.
He ate her up in one big bite.
But Grandmamma was small and tough,
And Wolfie wailed, ``That's not enough!
I haven't yet begun to feel
That I have had a decent meal!''
He ran around the kitchen yelping,
``I've got to have a second helping!''
Then added with a frightful leer,
``I'm therefore going to wait right here
Till Little Miss Red Riding Hood
Comes home from walking in the wood.''
He quickly put on Grandma's clothes,
(Of course he hadn't eaten those).
He dressed himself in coat and hat.
He put on shoes, and after that
He even brushed and curled his hair,
Then sat himself in Grandma's chair.
In came the little girl in red.
She stopped. She stared. And then she said,
``What great big ears you have, Grandma.''
``All the better to hear you with,'' the Wolf replied.
``What great big eyes you have, Grandma.''
said Little Red Riding Hood.
``All the better to see you with,'' the Wolf replied.
He sat there watching her and smiled.
He thought, I'm going to eat this child.
Compared with her old Grandmamma
She's going to taste like caviar.
Then Little Red Riding Hood said, ``But Grandma,
what a lovely great big furry coat you have on.''
``That's wrong!'' cried Wolf. ``Have you forgot
To tell me what BIG TEETH I've got?
Ah well, no matter what you say,
I'm going to eat you anyway.''
The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers.
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature's head
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead.
A few weeks later, in the wood,
I came across Miss Riding Hood.
But what a change! No cloak of red,
No silly hood upon her head.
She said, ``Hello, and do please note
My lovely furry wolfskin coat.''
