Little Red Riding Hood is a classic children’s fairy tale character. Back in 1870 she was known as Little Red-Cap and had a very different story. Quotes from Old, Old Fairy Tales. “There was once a dear little maid whom everyone loved directly they looked at her, especially her granny loved her dearly, and couldn’t give the child enough presents. Once she gave her a little jockey cap of red velvet, and because it suited her so well she always wore it and was known in consequences as Little Red-Cap. One day her mother said to her. ”Come Little Red-Cap, here are a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to poor, sick granny and the good things will cheer her up. Start before it gets very hot, and on the way walk prettily, like a gentle little girl, and don’t run or you will fall down and break the bottle and poor sick granny will get no wine. Veer not from the path and look neither to the right or left beside you.”
But you guessed it, Little Red-Cap ignored her mother’s warning and did not stay on the path. “She spied a field of posies and thought to take poor, sick granny a nosegay to cheer her and so she ran off into the meadow. She knew not the Wolf was there until he stood right before her.”
Some versions are cautionary tales that stop right here. Red-Cap didn’t listen to her mother and thus is, deservedly, gobbled up by the hungry wolf. The End.
Other versions take Little Red-Cap a little further. “Where are you going so early Little Red-Cap? To poor, sick granny’s my basket heavy with cake and wine. Where does your granny live? Let me carry your heavy basket for I know a short cut. ”The Wolf thought to himself, “Innocent little darling! She will be a tender, plump morsel” Little Red-Cap follows the Wolf further and further in to the darkness of the woods where he turns suddenly and eats her in one bite.
‘The Wolf then went straight to the grandmother’s house, lifted the latch and went in. “It tis I little Red-Cap.” he whispered in the dim light. Poor, sick granny raised her face for a kiss. As her check touched the Wolf’s hairy snout he bared his fangs and swallowed her whole. The Wolf having thus finally satiated his appetite lay down on poor, sick granny’s soft feather bed and snored uncommonly loud.” Some versions conclude with this happy ending. [sic]
But where the heck does that kindly Woodsman who rescues them both in our modern story come from? I found him here: ‘Just then the Forester was passing the house, and said to himself, “How the old woman is growling in her sleep! I’ll look in and see if anything is the matter.” So in he went and saw the Wolf lying in the bed . “So I find you here, you old Sinner!” He exclaimed. I have looked for you a long time. He aimed his loaded gun, but suddenly it occurred to him that the Wolf might possibly have gulped down the old woman. So instead of shooting, he took a great pair of scissors from his belt and began to rip up the sleeping brute’s belly. After 2 cuts of the scissors a little red-cap began to appear, and in with a few more snips the owner of it jumped out and cried” Oh I was so frightened. It was so dark; you can’t think how dark and wormy it is within the belly of the beast.” Then out came the poor, old sick granny, who was already dead from fear.
The Forester bade Little Red-Cap fetch in great haste hot, glowing, red stones from the hearth with which he filled the Wolf’s now empty belly, and when the Wolf woke up and wanted to be quickly off the stones were so heavy that he fell back on the bed and was slowly roasted from within. The Forester enjoyed the cake and wine and Little Red-Cap said to herself, “Never again in all your life will you run off into the wood instead of keeping to the path as mother told you.” The End