Once upon a time, there lived a sweet little girl in a cottage with her mum. Not far away, lived her old grandmother, who loved her dearly and often brought her toys and gifts.
One day, she went to the market and came home with a red cap and cloak for her little granddaughter. The child liked them so much that she wore them everywhere she went. So she came to be called Little Red Riding Hood.
One day, her mum said:
”Come, Red Riding Hood. I want you to take these cakes, this butter and this jar of honey to your grandmother. Go straight down the path until you come to her cottage. Don't run, in case you fall and break the jar, and then poor grandmother wouldn't get any honey.”
”Yes, mum,” said little Red Riding Hood, putting on her red cap and cloak. She took the basket on her arm and kissed her mum goodbye.
Off she went through the wood.

As she walked along the path, she met a wolf. She did not know what a wicked beast it was, and so she was not at all afraid.
”Good day, Red Riding Hood,” said the wolf.
”Good morning,” she said.
”Where are you going so early, Red Riding Hood?” he asked.
”I'm going to my grandmother's,” said the little girl. ”Mum baked today, and I'm bringing my grandmother some cakes and some butter and a jar of honey.”
”Where does she live?” asked the wolf.
”About half a mile away in the wood. The cottage stands under a great oak tree, and there are hazelnut bushes nearby.”

”I might drop by to visit her sometime,” said the wolf casually.
In his mind, he thought, ”If only those pesky woodcutters weren't around, I'd gobble you up in one bite! But I might still have a chance.”
He strolled alongside her.
”I say, Red Riding Hood,” he said, pointing. ”Look at those beautiful flowers over there! Don't you want to take a break and pick some? You're walking so seriously, like you're going to school or something. Come along, look how lovely it is here in the wood.”

Red Riding Hood looked around.
“Grandmother will be glad to have these flowers,“ she thought. “It is so early that I can gather some flowers and still get home in time.“
She forgot that her mum had told her to go straight down the path. She left it to pick some flowers a few steps away.
Then she saw some prettier ones a little further on. And so she wandered about until she was deep in the wood.

Meanwhile, the wolf ran straight down the path. He went to the old grandmother's house and knocked at the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
There was no answer. The grandmother had gone out to gather cresses from the brook, and hadn't come home yet.
The wolf knocked three times, then he pushed open the door and went in.
There, at the head of the bed, hung one of the grandmother's caps. He put it on and pulled it down over his ears. Then he got into the bed.

All this time, Red Riding Hood was still gathering flowers. Finally, she had as many flowers as her hands could hold. So she made her way back to the path and walked quickly until she came to her grandmother’s cottage. She, too, knocked at the door.
“Who is there?“ asked the wolf, trying to speak like the grandmother. But his voice was so rough that Red Riding Hood was frightened at first.
Then she thought, “Poor grandmother must have a bad cold.“
So she answered, “It's me, little Red Riding Hood. I brought you some cakes and butter and a jar of honey.“
“Pull the latch, and the door will fly open,“ said the wolf.
Little Red Riding Hood pulled the latch and the door flew open. She went in.

There in the bed lay her grandmother, as she thought. The wolf had drawn the cover up so she could only see his head. He had pulled the nightcap as far over his face as he could but his great eyes were shining out.
Red Riding Hood put the basket on the table. Then she went to the bedside.
“Oh, grandmother,“ she said, “what big eyes you have!“
“The better to see you, my dear, the better to see you,“ said the wolf.
“And, grandmother, what big ears you have!“
“The better to hear you, my dear, the better to hear you!“
“And what sharp teeth you have!“
“The better to eat you up!“ said the wolf, jumping out of bed.

He was just about to eat poor Little Red Riding Hood in one mouthful. But at that moment, the door flew open and the woodcutters rushed in.
Terrified by the scene, the wolf wobbled for a moment and fell down to the floor, but then quickly got up and ran out of the door, never to be seen again.
Little Red Riding Hood hugged her grandmother, thanked the woodcutters, and forever after remembered her mum’s wise advice and stayed on the path to grandmother’s house.
And of one thing you may be sure - Little Red Riding Hood never stopped in the wood again to talk with a wolf.