Grimms' Fairy Tales

Author: Tong Le
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Once there was a lovely little girl who was loved by everyone, but her grandmother loved her the most. One day, her grandmother made her a red velvet hat, which fit her perfectly, so she never wore any other hats again. That's why everyone called her "Little Red Riding Hood."
One day, her mother said to Little Red Riding Hood, "Hey, Little Red Riding Hood, here are some pastries and wine. Take them to your grandmother. She's sick and weak, and eating this will make her feel better. Leave early! Don't wander around on the way."
"I'll be careful!" Little Red Riding Hood replied.
Her grandmother lived in the big forest, about half an hour's walk from the village. Little Red Riding Hood entered the forest and met a wolf. She didn't know the wolf was a fierce beast and wasn't afraid.
"Hello, Little Red Riding Hood. Where are you going so early?" the wolf said.
"To my grandmother's house!"
"What's in your apron?"
"Pastries and wine. My grandmother is sick and weak. This will help her recover!"
"Little Red Riding Hood, where does your grandmother live?"
"Right over there, under three oak trees in the big forest. There's a fence made of walnut trees beside it. You know?"
The wolf thought, "This little one is so tender and juicy. She must taste better than the grandmother. I need to figure out a way to get both of them!"
The wolf walked with Little Red Riding Hood for a while, then said, "Little Red Riding Hood, look how beautiful the flowers are! Why don't you go see them? The birds are singing so nicely, and the forest is so cheerful!"
Little Red Riding Hood widened her eyes and saw sunlight filtering through the trees, twinkling like dancing. Beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere. She thought, "If I bring flowers to my grandmother, she'll be so happy. It's still early, and I have time." So, she left the path and went into the forest to pick flowers. She picked one after another, and before she knew it, she had wandered deep into the forest.
At that moment, the wolf ran to the grandmother's house and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Little Red Riding Hood! I brought pastries and wine. Open the door, Grandma!"
"Push the handle! I don't have the strength to get up!" The wolf pushed the door, and it burst open with a loud "bang." Without a word, the wolf rushed to the grandmother's bed and swallowed her whole. Then, the wolf put on her clothes and hat, lay on the bed, and pulled the curtains.
"Why is your hand so big?"
"To hold you!"
"But Grandma, why is your mouth so terrifyingly large?"
"To eat you!" The wolf jumped off the bed, opened his mouth, and swallowed Little Red Riding Hood whole.
The wolf's belly was now full, so he lay back down on the bed and snored loudly.
Coincidentally, a hunter passed by the grandmother's house. He thought, "Why is Grandma snoring so loudly? Something must be wrong." So, he went inside and found the wolf lying there.
"This beast! I've been looking for you for so long," the hunter said. He picked up his gun and aimed to shoot. But then he thought, "The wolf might have eaten Grandma, and she might still be alive." So, he took out scissors and cut open the wolf's belly.
"Rustle, rustle..." He dimly saw Little Red Riding Hood inside. After cutting a few more times, the little girl jumped out.
"Oh no! Why is it so dark inside the wolf's belly?" Little Red Riding Hood shouted. Then, the grandmother also came out alive.
Little Red Riding Hood quickly grabbed a big stone and stuffed it into the wolf's belly. When the wolf woke up, he tried to jump up and run away, but the stone was too heavy, and he fell to the ground with a loud "thud," dying instantly.
The three of them laughed happily. The hunter skinned the wolf and took it home. The grandmother ate the pastries and drank the wine, feeling much better. Little Red Riding Hood thought, "If my mother had told me not to take a detour or go into the forest alone, I wouldn't have gone!"
There's also another legend: One day, Little Red Riding Hood was taking pastries to her grandmother again. Another wolf approached her and tricked her into going somewhere else. But Little Red Riding Hood was alert. She told her grandmother she had met a wolf, and the wolf had said, "Hello!" but his eyes showed malicious intent. The wolf also said, "If I weren't on the path, I would have eaten you!"
The grandmother said, "Come! Close the door and don't let the wolf in."
After a while, the wolf knocked on the door, shouting, "Open the door, Grandma! It's Little Red Riding Hood, bringing pastries!" But neither of them moved, didn't speak, or opened the door.
The foolish wolf circled the house quietly a few times and then jumped onto the roof, planning to follow Little Red Riding Hood home when she returned and eat her in a place where no one could see. But the grandmother had already figured out the wolf's trick. She remembered there was a large water trough in front of the house and told Little Red Riding Hood, "Little Red Riding Hood, bring the water bucket. I cooked sausages yesterday. Pour the broth into the big stone trough."
Little Red Riding Hood filled the trough to the brim, and the aroma drifted to the wolf's nose. The wolf inhaled deeply, sticking his neck out so far that he lost his balance and fell from the roof, right into the water trough and drowned.
Little Red Riding Hood went home happily. From then on, she was never harmed by anyone again.
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