Red Riding Hood 1

ONCE upon a time there was a little girl who was loved by all who knew her. Her grandmother made her a little red cloak with a red hood. The cloak was so nice and warm that she often wore it. She wore it so often that people called her Red Riding Hood.

One day, her mother said to her:

"Red Riding Hood, I want you to take a basket of good things to your grandmother, who isn't very well; some bread, a cake, and a piece of fresh butter."

Her mother put the things in a basket. "Don't run," she said, "or you may fall down with your basket. But don't go too slowly or you will be too late. Just go quickly and carefully. And don't talk to any strangers you may meet." "I will do just as you tell me, Mother," said Red Riding Hood, and she put on her red cloak and left the house.

Her grandmother lived in a wood about half-an-hour's walk away from the village. Red Riding Hood went carefully; she didn't run and she didn't walk too slowly. When she was going through the wood, she met a wolf. Red Riding Hood had no idea what a wicked and cruel animal the wolf was, so she was not afraid of him. She quite forgot that her mother had told her not to speak to strangers. "Good morning, Red Riding Hood," said the wolf. "Good morning, wolf," said Red Riding Hood. "Where are you going so early?" asked the wolf. "I am going to visit my grandmother who is not very well," answered Red Riding Hood. "What have you in your basket?" "I have some bread, a cake, and a piece of fresh butter." "Where does your grandmother live?" "She lives in the wood. Her house is under three oak-trees and there are nut bushes beside it."

"This pretty little girl will be a tasty dinner for me!" thought the wolf, and he looked hungrily at Red Riding Hood. "She will be more tasty than the old woman. But if I am careful, perhaps I can eat them both up."

He would have eaten 2 Red Riding Hood at once, but he could hear the sound of an axe near by. That meant that there were men not far away, and he did not want to be caught. 3 So the wolf walked along with Red Riding Hood for a while. Then he said:

"Look at the pretty flowers, Red Riding Hood! Why don't you gather some flowers for your grandmother? She will be very pleased with some fresh flowers if she is not well and cannot go out."

"What a good idea! It is quite early. I have time to pick flowers," said Red Riding Hood. She looked around and saw many lovely bright flowers. So she walked under the trees and picked the flowers. Each time she picked one, she always saw another prettier flower farther on. She went deeper and deeper into the wood. At the same time she listened to the birds in the trees as they sang their sweet songs.

But the wolf went straight to the grandmother's house. When he reached the house, he knocked at the door. Toc! Toc!

"Who is there?" asked the grandmother in a weak voice.

"It is Red Riding Hood," said the wolf, and he tried to make his gruff voice sound soft. 4 "I have brought you some bread, a cake, and a piece of fresh butter."

"Lift the latch and walk in," said the grandmother. "I am too weak to get up."

The wolf lifted the latch, and he walked into the house.

The old lady was lying in bed. The wolf went straight up to the bed and swallowed her up. Then he put on a nightdress and a nightcap, got into the grandmother's bed and drew the curtains.5

When Red Riding Hood had gathered as many flowers as she could carry, she hurried on to her grandmother's house.

She was very surprised when she got to the house and found the door open. And when she entered the room, everything seemed so strange. 6 She felt quite frightened, but she did not know why.

"Good morning, Grandmother," she cried. But she received no answer.

Then she went up to the bed and drew the curtains back. There lay her grandmother, but she had pulled her nightcap over her face, and she looked very strange.

"Oh Grandmother, what big ears you have!" said Red Riding Hood.

"The better to hear you with, my dear," said the wolf. "Oh Grandmother, what big eyes you have!" "The better to see you with, my dear." "Oh Grandmother, what big hands you have!" "The better to hug you with, my dear." "Oh Grandmother, what big teeth you have!" "The better to eat you with, my dear." With these words, the wicked wolf jumped out of bed and swallowed poor little Red Riding Hood. Then, after such a good meal, he went back to bed for a rest. Soon he was asleep and snoring loudly.

Later on 7 a hunter went past the house and he heard the wolf's loud snores. Of course he thought it was the grandmother.

"How loudly the old lady is snoring," he thought. "Perhaps she is not well. I'll just open the door and see if she is all right." So he went into the house and saw the wolf asleep in the old lady's bed.

"I know who you are," said the hunter. "You've done bad things for years. Well, you'll never have a chance to kill anyone else."

He raised his gun to shoot, 8 when he thought that perhaps the wolf had swallowed the old lady, and that she might still be saved. 9

So he took a knife and carefully cut open the wolf 10 as he lay asleep. The little girl jumped out and cried, "Oh, how frightened I was! It was so dark inside the wolf." Next the old grandmother came out, alive but very weak after her horrible adventure.

They were quite happy now. The hunter took the wolf's skin home. The grandmother ate all the good things which Red Riding Hood brought, and she soon felt quite strong. As for Red Riding Hood, she decided always to follow her mother's advice. 11

1 Red Riding Hood — зд. Красная Шапочка (букв, riding hood — шапочка для верховой езды). Особой известностью пользуется французский вариант этой сказки, принадлежащий Шарлю Перро.

2 He would have eaten — Он бы съел

3 he did not want to be caught — он не хотел, чтобы его поймали

4 he tried to make his gruff voice sound soft — он старался, чтобы его грубый голос звучал как можно мягче

5 drew the curtains — задернул занавески (около кровати)

6 everything seemed so strange — все показалось таким необычным

7 Later on — Позднее

8 He raised his gun to shoot — Он поднял свое ружье, чтобы выстрелить

9 she might still be saved — ее можно еще спасти

10 carefully cut open the wolf — осторожно распорол живот волку

11 As for ... always to follow her mother's advice — Что касается ... всегда следовать маминым советам