Synopsis
Le Petit Chaperon Rouge…Little Red Riding Hood.
Synopsis
- Once there was little girl, who was of course, the prettiest. She was loved by her mother and grandmother. The mother had a little red riding hood made for her. It suited the girl so extremely well that everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood.
- One day her mother, having made some cakes, said to her, "Go, my dear, and see how your grandmother is doing, for I hear she has been very ill. Take her a cake, and this little pot of butter."
- Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) set out immediately to go to her grandmother, who lived in another village.
- As she was going through the wood, she met with a wolf; that had a very great mind to eat her up, but he dared not, because of some woodcutters working nearby in the forest. He asked her where she was going. The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to stay and talk to a wolf, said to him, "I am going to see my grandmother and carry her cake and a little pot of butter from my mother."
- "Does she live far off?" said the wolf. And LRRH told him exactly where she lived.
- The wolf took the shortest path, and the little girl took a roundabout way, entertaining herself by gathering nuts, running after butterflies, and gathering bouquets of little flowers. It was not long before the wolf arrived at the old woman's house and knocked the door.
- Grandmother told the wolf how to open the door because she believed it was LRRH. Once inside, he ate the woman immediately, because he hadn’t eaten in 3 days. He got into the grandmothers bed, waiting for little red.
- Little Red arrived and knocked on the door. Her “grandmother” answered, little red thought her voice was deep and husky, but knew she had a cold. The wolf cried out to her, softening his voice as much as he could, to come in.
- The wolf instructed her to put the cake and butter upon a stool. He hid under the bedclothes.
- Little Red Riding Hood took off her clothes and got into bed. She was greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her nightclothes, and said to her, "Grandmother, what big arms you have!"
- "All the better to hug you with, my dear." And this went on with legs – to run with, ears – to hear with, eyes – to see with and finally what big teeth “she” had.
- "All the better to eat you up with."
- And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and ate her all up. (Lang 1889: 51-53)