The Little Details in Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time, very long ago, in a small, quaint village lived a beautiful little girl. Stunning and vibrant in appearance, with big and round honey colored eyes, cheeks as red as a rose, and long, curly brown hair growing like vines on a fence, unruly and without care. Though the little girl was greatly cherished, this deep adoration caused her mother to spoil her beyond compare; therefore she became easily fooled by common tricks the children at school would play on her, for her lack of common sense intrigued them. Her grandmother especially loved her, even making for the little girl a red riding hood that complemented her complexion. From then on, the little girl became known as Little Red Riding Hood.

            On one breezy spring afternoon, Little Red Riding Hood came home to a smell so tempting and enticing, that it circled the house and took it captive, immediately drawing Little Red Riding Hood in. “My dearest daughter, how happy am I that you’re home! I was just making you your favorite pie, when I got news of your grandmother. It seems she has fallen ill. Put this pie in your basket and take it over to your grandmother’s house,” said Little Red Riding Hood’s mother. With great gusto, Little Red Riding Hood responded, “Right away mother! I won’t let you or grandmother down. Her voice was almost as appealing as her, with a great soprano tone that made her all the more beautiful. Before Little Red Riding Hood could get out the door, her mother added a last, omniscient remark concerning her trip down to the neighboring village, where her grandmother lived, “Oh darling? Remember to not stray from your path. Be careful.” And with that last remark, she was off.

            The journey to the neighboring village was going along well when the all-encompassing smell of the pie immediately grasped the wolf’s attention. Jumping out from behind the deep green and majestically tall forest trees like a rabbit, the wolf surprised Little Red Riding Hood, making her giggle in that wonderful soprano tone. The wolf asked her in a mischievous way, “Where are you off to Little Red Riding Hood?” This inquiry was all it took to forget her mother’s warning, “I’m off to see my grandmother in the house with the green roof and red door in the other village, for she has fallen ill. Mother told me to go bring her this pie so she can feel better. She also very much enjoys my presence.” Immediately getting ideas, the devious Wolf thought it would be far more exciting to play a trick on her rather than just eating her up; that would come after the fun. “Little Red Riding Hood, I wish to see your grandmother and comfort her as well. Why don’t we play a game on the way? You go down the left side of the road, and I will go down the right side, then we will see who get’s there first,” said the Wolf, knowing just how to tempt her. Enchanted by the idea of a game, it completely escaped Little Red Riding Hood’s mind that the left side of the road was the longer path, twisting and winding down the forest like a fair ride, and that the right side, the straightforward path, the path she was supposed to stay on, was shorter.

When she got to her grandmother’s house, she was excited to see she had beaten the wolf at his own game! She lifted the big brass knocker off the door of her grandmother’s house and let it fall. “Grandmother, it’s me, Little Red Riding Hood! I have brought you pie so you can feel better.” The wolf, having beaten her there, immediately responded in a shrill voice imitating the grandmother’s, “Come in dear!” Little Red Riding Hood set the pie down on the table and sat next to her grandmother’s bed. She was aghast at her grandmother’s appearance, for it seemed she had grown! “Oh grandmother, what big eyes you have,” said Little Red Riding Hood, to which the wolf immediately responded, “All the better to see you with, my dear.” “What big hands you have.” “All the better to grab you with, my dear.” “Grandmother, what large teeth you have.” “All the better to EAT you with!” And with that, the wolf lunged at Little Red Riding Hood and gobbled her up like a Thanksgiving feast.