Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood
Charles Perrault- First published in 1697.

Reading Level: 5+  Number of Pages: 2 Genre: Classic Fairy-tale

Summary: Red Riding Hood was on her way to her grandmother's house, walking through the forest with a little cake and some butter for her ailing grandma. As she walked she met a wolf. The wolf would have eaten her up right then and there, but he was afraid of the woodcutters in the area. So he asked her where she was off to.

"Why, I am on my way to my grandmother's house," she said. "It is just over the hill, and I am bringing her this basket to help her get well."

"I am also heading that way," said the wolf. "Why don't we see who can get there the swiftest"? And so he ran off as fast as he could, while Little Red Riding Hood took her time, chasing butterflies and gathering nuts. When the wolf came to the cottage he knocked, and after being invited in he quickly devoured the old woman. The wolf put on the old woman's clothing and climbed into her bed.

Not long after, Little Red Riding Hood knocked on the door, and the wolf called out to her, inviting her in. The little girl didn't suspect anything because she knew her grandmother had a terrible cold, and would certainly sound gruff. So she came in and climbed into bed with the wolf, and then remarked, "What big eyes you have!"

"The better to see you with," said the wolf.

"And what big teeth you have!" said the girl.

"All the better to eat you with!" said the wolf. And with that he gobbled her up.

The moral of the story: Don't trust strangers.

My Impressions: Sometimes it is a little strange to read the story in its original form, and certainly this version ends differently than its contemporaries. I believe it would be a good idea to teach kids about strangers, but I suppose it should be up to the parents on whether they teach whether or not there is a happy ending. Either way, the story will definitely captivate kids, and may even scare them into a lesson.

 

Parent's Guide: Both the grandmother and Red get eaten in the end. There is no woodcutter in this version to save them.

Recommendations:Stories like this one are very interesting to read in their original form, and I would recommend that parents familiarize their children with various versions of the same tale.