Little Red Riding Hood

Based on the story by Sowmya Rajendran and the Brothers Grimm

Illustrated by Elizabeth Mayuku and Toshiro Kawamato

Once upon a time there was a kind little boy called Little Red Riding Hood.
He always wore a bright red coat with a bright red hood.
“I love it so much I never take it off.

Little Red Riding Hood lived with his father on the edge of some deep, dark woods.

One day, Little Red Riding Hood’s father gave him a pot of vegetable soup.

“Take this to your grandfather,” he said. “He’s not feeling well.”

“But remember the Rules of the Woods,” his father added.

1. Keep to the path.
2. Don’t talk to wolves.

“I will,” promised Little Red Riding Hood and he set off. “Aha! There goes my lunch!”

At first, the sun shone and the birds sang.

Little Red Riding Hood hummed a little tune…

Bent down to tie his shoelace…
Skipped along the path…
And stopped to smell the flowers.
“Ha-ha! At last!” laughed the wolf, who was coming behind him.

Good morning, Little Red Riding Hood,” called a woodcutter.

“Rats! Growled the wolf.

“Good morning,” said Little Red Riding Hood, waving to her.

“I know! I’ll run ahead and wait for him.” said the wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood walked deeper and deeper into the woods…

It grew darker and darker.

Then the sun hid behind the clouds and it got darker still.
So Little Red Riding Hood didn’t see the wolf waiting for him on the path.
“Come on lunch,” growled the wolf. “Where are you?”

And the wolf didn’t see Little Red Riding Hood either.

Little Red Riding Hood stepped on the wolf’s tail…

“My tail!” howled the wolf.

Then on her paw…

“My paw!” she yelped.

And dropped his basket on SMACK! On her head.

“My head!” she moaned.

“Look where you’re going!” said the wolf, huffily.

“But you were in the middle of the path,” said Little Red Riding Hood.

He had forgotten the rule—Don’t talk to wolves.

“What have you got in that basket?” asked the wolf, hungrily.

“’Sabzee ka Soop’ means ‘Vegetable soup’,” replied Little Red Riding Hood. “I’m taking
it to my grandfather.”

“Vegetables?” cried the wolf. “How revolting!”

“Wolves only eat juicy, red meat. I never touch vegetables,” she added. “Now, time for
my lunch!”

The wolf was about to gobble up Little Red Riding Hood. But then she had an idea.

“Perhaps I can eat Little Red Riding Hood and his grandfather!” she thought.

She put on her softest voice. “Where does your grandfather live?” she asked.

“In the cottage on the other side of the woods,” said Little Red Riding Hood.

“How perfect!” thought the wolf, rubbing her tummy. “How delicious!”
“Why don’t you take him some flowers?” she suggested.

“That’s a lovely idea! What a kind wolf you are,” said Little Red Riding Hood.

So Little Red Riding Hood left the path to look for flowers…

and the wolf raced off to the grandfather’s house.

She knocked lightly on the door. Tap! Tap! Tap!

“I’m so wonderfully wicked and clever! Who’s there?” asked the grandfather.

“Your grandson, Little Red Riding Hood,” squeaked the wolf.

“I’ve brought you some lovely Sabzee ka Soop.”

“Let yourself in,” said the grandfather. “I’m too weak to get up.”

The wolf leaped into the room.

She gobbled up Little Red Riding Hood’s grandfather.

“Mmm. Bony, but not bad.” She pleased.

Then she climbed into bed to wait for Little Red Riding Hood.

Soon she heard a knock at the door.

“Who’s there?” she said.

“Your grandson, Little Red Riding Hood.”

“Let yourself in,” called the wolf. “I’m too weak to get up.”

She pulled on the grandfather’s cap and hid under the blankets.
“I’ve brought you some lovely Sabzee ka Soop.” said Little Red Riding Hood.

“Lovely,” snarled the wolf. “I mean lovely!” she added in a squeak.

“Put the basket on the stool and come and sit next to me.”

Little Red Riding Hood looked at his grandfather. He looked again.

“Oh Grandfather,” he said. “What big ears you have.”

“All the better to hear you with,” said the wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood came closer to the bed.

“Oh Grandfather,” he said. “What big eyes you have.”

“All the better to see you with,” said the wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood came closer still.

“Oh Grandfather,” he said. “What big hairy hands you have.”

“All the better to hug you with,” said the wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood was now standing right next to the bed.

“But Grandfather,” he said. “What big sharp teeth you have.”

“All the better to eat you with,” snapped the wolf.

She jumped out of bed and gobbled up Little Red Riding Hood.

“Deee-licious! Full at last!” she said, licking her lips. Then she lay down on the bed to
sleep.
As the wolf slept, she snored… very loudly.

She snored so loudly the woodcutter heard her. “I’ve never heard the old man snore that
loudly,” she thought.

“I’ll just make sure he’s okay.”

But the woodcutter couldn’t see the grandfather anywhere—only a very fat wolf.

“Oh no!” thought the woodcutter. “The wolf’s eaten the old man.”

Just then, the woodcutter had an idea.

“Perhaps the old man is still inside you. I might be able to save him.”

She picked up some scissors. Then she snipped open the wolf’s tummy.

Snip, snip… She saw a bright red hood. Snip, snip… Little Red Riding Hood’s head
popped out.

“Keep cutting” he cried. “Grandfather’s still in there.”

Snippety-snip, faster and faster… The woodcutter kept cutting until Grandfather popped
out too.
“Did I fall asleep?” she asked.

Quick as a flash, Little Red Riding Hood ran outside and picked up lots of stones.

The woodcutter put them in the wolf’s tummy

and the grandfather sewed the tummy up.

Then the wolf woke up. She tried to sneak out of the door, but the stones rattled inside
her.

“Now everyone can hear you coming,” said the woodcutter, laughing.
“But I’ll never catch anyone,” cried the wolf.
“Exactly!” said the woodcutter.

“You’ll just have to eat vegetables instead,” said Little Red Riding Hood.

The wolf never ate another person.

“I don’t like little boys!” she grumbled.

As for Little Red Riding Hood, he never, ever talked to a wolf again.
Once upon a time there was a kind little boy called Little Red Riding Hood.
He always wore a bright red coat with a bright red hood.
“I love it so much I never take it off.
 
Little Red Riding Hood lived with his father on the edge of some deep, dark woods.
 
One day, Little Red Riding Hood’s father gave him a pot of vegetable soup.
 
“Take this to your grandfather,” he said. “He’s not feeling well.”
 
“But remember the Rules of the Woods,” his father added.
Keep to the path. Don’t talk to wolves.
 
“I will,” promised Little Red Riding Hood and he set off. “Aha! There goes my lunch!”
 
 
At first, the sun shone and the birds sang.
 
Little Red Riding Hood hummed a little tune…
Bent down to tie his shoelace…
Skipped along the path…
And stopped to smell the flowers.
“Ha-ha! At last!” laughed the wolf, who was coming behind him.
 
Good morning, Little Red Riding Hood,” called a woodcutter.
“Rats! Growled the wolf.
 
“Good morning,” said Little Red Riding Hood, waving to her.
“I know! I’ll run ahead and wait for him.” said the wolf.
 
Little Red Riding Hood walked deeper and deeper into the woods…
 
It grew darker and darker.
 
Then the sun hid behind the clouds and it got darker still.
 
So Little Red Riding Hood didn’t see the wolf waiting for him on the path.
“Come on lunch,” growled the wolf. “Where are you?”
 
And the wolf didn’t see Little Red Riding Hood either.
 
Little Red Riding Hood stepped on the wolf’s tail…
“My tail!” howled the wolf.
 
Then on her paw…
“My paw!” she yelped.
 
And dropped his basket on SMACK! On her head.
“My head!” she moaned.
 
“Look where you’re going!” said the wolf, huffily.
 
“But you were in the middle of the path,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
 
He had forgotten the rule—Don’t talk to wolves.
 
“What have you got in that basket?” asked the wolf, hungrily.
 
 
“’Sabzee ka Soop’ means ‘Vegetable soup’,” replied Little Red Riding Hood. “I’m taking it to
my grandfather.”
 
“Vegetables?” cried the wolf. “How revolting!”
 
 
“Wolves only eat juicy, red meat. I never touch vegetables,” she added. “Now, time for my
lunch!”
 
The wolf was about to gobble up Little Red Riding Hood. But then she had an idea.
 
 
“Perhaps I can eat Little Red Riding Hood and his grandfather!” she thought.
 
She put on her softest voice. “Where does your grandfather live?” she asked.
 
 
“In the cottage on the other side of the woods,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
 
“How perfect!” thought the wolf, rubbing her tummy. “How delicious!”
 
 
“Why don’t you take him some flowers?” she suggested.
 
“That’s a lovely idea! What a kind wolf you are,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
 
 
So Little Red Riding Hood left the path to look for flowers…
 
and the wolf raced off to the grandfather’s house.
 
 
She knocked lightly on the door. Tap! Tap! Tap!
 
“I’m so wonderfully wicked and clever! Who’s there?” asked the grandfather.
 
 
“Your grandson, Little Red Riding Hood,” squeaked the wolf.
 
“I’ve brought you some lovely Sabzee ka Soop.”
 
 
“Let yourself in,” said the grandfather. “I’m too weak to get up.”
 
The wolf leaped into the room.
 
 
She gobbled up Little Red Riding Hood’s grandfather.
“Mmm. Bony, but not bad.” She pleased.
 
Then she climbed into bed to wait for Little Red Riding Hood.
 
 
Soon she heard a knock at the door.
 
“Who’s there?” she said.
“Your grandson, Little Red Riding Hood.”
 
 
“Let yourself in,” called the wolf. “I’m too weak to get up.”
 
She pulled on the grandfather’s cap and hid under the blankets.
 
 
“I’ve brought you some lovely Sabzee ka Soop.” said Little Red Riding Hood.
 
“Lovely,” snarled the wolf. “I mean lovely!” she added in a squeak.
 
 
“Put the basket on the stool and come and sit next to me.”
 
Little Red Riding Hood looked at his grandfather. He looked again.
 
 
“Oh Grandfather,” he said. “What big ears you have.”
 
“All the better to hear you with,” said the wolf.
 
 
Little Red Riding Hood came closer to the bed.
“Oh Grandfather,” he said. “What big eyes you have.”
 
“All the better to see you with,” said the wolf.
 
 
Little Red Riding Hood came closer still.
 
“Oh Grandfather,” he said. “What big hairy hands you have.”
 
 
“All the better to hug you with,” said the wolf.
 
Little Red Riding Hood was now standing right next to the bed.
 
 
“But Grandfather,” he said. “What big sharp teeth you have.”
 
“All the better to eat you with,” snapped the wolf.
 
 
She jumped out of bed and gobbled up Little Red Riding Hood.
 
“Deee-licious! Full at last!” she said, licking her lips. Then she lay down on the bed to sleep.
 
 
As the wolf slept, she snored… very loudly.
 
She snored so loudly the woodcutter heard her. “I’ve never heard the old man snore that loudly,”
she thought.
 
 
“I’ll just make sure he’s okay.”
 
But the woodcutter couldn’t see the grandfather anywhere—only a very fat wolf.
 
 
“Oh no!” thought the woodcutter. “The wolf’s eaten the old man.”
 
Just then, the woodcutter had an idea.
 
 
“Perhaps the old man is still inside you. I might be able to save him.”
 
She picked up some scissors. Then she snipped open the wolf’s tummy.
 
 
Snip, snip… She saw a bright red hood. Snip, snip… Little Red Riding Hood’s head popped out.
 
“Keep cutting” he cried. “Grandfather’s still in there.”
 
 
Snippety-snip, faster and faster… The woodcutter kept cutting until Grandfather popped out too.
“Did I fall asleep?” she asked.
 
Quick as a flash, Little Red Riding Hood ran outside and picked up lots of stones.
 
 
The woodcutter put them in the wolf’s tummy
 
and the grandfather sewed the tummy up.
 
 
Then the wolf woke up. She tried to sneak out of the door, but the stones rattled inside her.
 
“Now everyone can hear you coming,” said the woodcutter, laughing.
 
 
“But I’ll never catch anyone,” cried the wolf.
 “Exactly!” said the woodcutter.
 
“You’ll just have to eat vegetables instead,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
 
 
The wolf never ate another person.
“I don’t like little boys!” she grumbled.
 
As for Little Red Riding Hood, he never, ever talked to a wolf again.

—The End—