“Little Red Riding Hood”

While listening, answer the following questions:

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1. What stands out in the written text, in the visual text? What are the possible implications?
2. What warnings are towards women? What dangers exist for women?
3. How are women kept safe?

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Question Prompt:

What does “Little Red Riding Hood” teach about danger?

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(What is the message about danger towards women specifically?)

You will answer this with your partner

�Little �Red Riding Hood �By the BROTHERS GRIMM

Translated by LUCY CRANE �Illustrated by WALTER CRANE

A LONG time ago, in a house near a wood,

As most pretty histories go,

A nice little girl lived, called Red Riding Hood,

As some of us already know.

One day said her mother, “Get ready, my dear,

“And take to your granny some cakes,

And a bottle of wine to soothe her

And ask after her pains and aches.

Set out before it gets hot

And when you are on your journey,

Walk nicely and quietly, not off like a shot.

Do not run off the path along the way,

Or you may end up falling and break the wine pot.”

Out set Riding Hood, so obliging and sweet,

And she met a great Wolf in the wood,

Who begun most politely the maiden to greet.

In as tender a voice as he could

He asked in what house she was going and why;

Red Riding Hood answered him all:

He said, “Give my love to your Gran; I will try

At my earliest leisure to call.”

Off he ran, and Red Riding Hood went on her way,

But often she lingered and played,

And made as she went quite a pretty nosegay

With the wild flowers that grew in the glade.

So as she ran from the path (against which she had been warned)

Looking for flowers farther than she should.

With each one, she saw a still prettier one for which she yearned

And so got deeper and deeper into the wood.

But in the meanwhile the Wolf went, with a grin,

At the Grandmother’s cottage to call;

He knocked at the door, and was told to come in,

Then he ate her up—sad cannibal!

Then the Wolf shut the door, and got into bed,

And waited for Red Riding Hood;

When he heard her soft tap at the front door, he said,

Speaking softly as ever he could:

“Who is there?”

“It is I, your dear grandchild; I’ve brought

Some wine and nice little cakes.”

“Pull the bobbin¹, my child, and come in as you ought;

I’m in bed very bad with my aches.”

When she entered the room, the old Wolf hid himself

Very carefully (such was his plan):

“Put your basket and things, little dear on the shelf,

And come into bed to your Gran,”

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¹device consisting of a short bar and a length of string,

used to control a wooden door latch

The obedient child laid herself down by the side

Of her Grandmother dear (as she thought):

But all at once, “Granny!” Red Riding Hood cried,

“What, very long arms you have got!”

He answered, “The better to hug you, my child.”

“But, Granny, what very large ears!”

“The better to hear you,” the voice was still mild,

But the little girl hid her fears.

“Grandmother, you have very large eyes!”

“The better to see you, I trow².”

“What great teeth you have got!” and the wicked Wolf cries,

“The better to eat you up now!”

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² (verb) to think, believe, or trust

Red Riding Hood shrieked, and—bang! off went a gun

And shot the old Wolf through the head:

One howl and one moan, one kick and one groan,

And the wicked old rascal was dead.

Some sportsman (he certainly was a dead shot)

Had aimed at the Wolf when she cried;

So Red Riding Hood got safe home—did she not?

And lived happily there till she died.