🐺 Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time there (be) a little girl who (be) loved by everyone, but most of all by her grandmother. Once she (give) her a little riding hood of red velvet, which (suit) her so well that she would never wear anything else; so she (be) always called "Little Red Riding Hood".

One day her mother (ask) her to take a piece of cake and a bottle of wine to grandmother because she (be) ill and weak. Her mother (tell) her to set out before it (get) hot and not to run off the path.

The grandmother (live) out in the wood and just as Little Red Riding Hood (enter) the wood, a wolf (meet) her. Red Riding Hood (do) not know what an evil creature he (be), and (be) not at all afraid of him.

"Good day, Little Red Riding Hood", (say) he.
"Thank you kindly, wolf."
"Where are you going so early, Little Red Riding Hood?"
"To my grandmother's."
"What have you got in your basket?"
"Cake and wine. Poor grandmother is sick so I am taking her something good to make her stronger."
"Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood?"
"In the wood.", (reply) Little Red Riding Hood.

The wolf (think) to himself: "What a tender young creature! What a nice plump mouthful."

"She will be better to eat than the old woman. I must act cleverly, so as to catch both."
So he (walk) for a short time by the side of Little Red Riding Hood, and then he (say): "See, Little Red Riding Hood, how pretty the flowers are about here. Why do you not look round?"

Little Red Riding Hood (raise) her eyes, and when she (see) the sunbeams dancing here and there through the trees, and pretty flowers growing everywhere, she (think): "Suppose I take grandmother a nosegay; that would please her too. It is so early in the day that I shall still get there in good time."

So she (run) from the path into the wood to look for flowers. And whenever she (have) picked one, she (fancy) that she (see) a still prettier one farther on, and (run) after it, and so (get) deeper and deeper into the wood.

Meanwhile the wolf (run) straight to the grandmother's house and (knock) at the door.
"Who is there?"
"Little Red Riding Hood", (reply) the wolf. "She is bringing cake and wine; open the door."
"Lift the latch.", (call) out the grandmother, "I am too weak, and cannot get up."

The wolf (lift) the latch, the door (open), and without saying a word he (go) straight to the grandmother's bed, and (devour) her. Then he (put) on her clothes, (dress) himself in her cap, (lay) himself in bed and (draw) the curtains.

Little Red Riding Hood, who (have) been running about picking flowers, then (remember) her grandmother and (set) out on the way to her.

She (be) surprised to find the cottage door standing open, and when she (go) into the room, she (call) out: "Good morning!", but (receive) no answer; so she (go) to the bed and (draw) back the curtains. There (lay) her Grandmother with her cap (pull) far over her face, and looking very strange.

"Oh! Grandmother", she (say), "what big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear you with, my child," (be) the reply.
"But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!", she (say).

"But, grandmother, what large hands you have!"
"All the better to hug you with."
"Oh! But grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!"
"All the better to eat you with!"

And scarcely (have) the wolf said this, than with one jump he (be) out of bed and (swallow) up Red Riding Hood.

When the wolf (have) appeased his appetite, he (lay) down again in the bed, (fall) asleep and (begin) to snore very loud.

The huntsman (be) just passing the house, and (think) to himself: "How the old woman is snoring! I must just see if she wants anything." So he (go) into the room, and when he (come) to the bed, he (see) that the wolf (be) lying in it.

"Do I find you here, you old sinner!" (say) he. "I have long sought you!" But just as he (be) going to fire at him, it (occur) to him that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother, and that she might still be saved, so he (do) not fire, but (take) a pair of scissors, and (begin) to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf.

When he (have) made two snips, he (see) the Little Red Riding Hood shining, and then he (make) two snips more, and the little girl (spring) out.

After that the grandmother (come) out alive also. Little Red Riding Hood quickly (fetch) great stones with which they (fill) the wolf's belly, and when he (awake), he (want) to run away, but the stones (be) so heavy that he (collapse) at once, and (fall) dead.

Then all three (be) delighted. The huntsman (draw) off the wolf's skin and (go) home with it; the grandmother (eat) the cake and (drink) the wine which Little Red Riding Hood (have) brought, and (revive). But Little Red Riding Hood (think) to herself: "As long as I live, I will never leave the path by myself to run into the wood, when my mother has forbidden me to do so."