3 of 12

Once upon a far away place lived a little girl who was given a very special present from her grandmother for her eighth birthday. This present was opened with great enthusiasm and excitement by the little girl and she tore at the wrapping paper wildly. It was quickly revealed that the wonderful gift was a coat designed in a cape-like shape in the most dynamic, remarkable colour the girl had ever seen. This coat was red, a bright, beautiful red and was soft and warm to the touch. In one bold manoeuvre, the girl swept the coat up and threw it across her back and pulled the hood up over her chocolate locks. I don't think anyone can remember a time before the coat, but certainly since the coat, Jessica was always known as Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Red Riding Hood by B.B. Wolfe

4 of 12

Spring had grown slowly back into their lives and birdsong filled the silences in the air. The sky had found its brightness, grey had turned into blue. Mother was outside in a battle with the wind trying to encourage the washing to dance on the clothesline. Her eyes watered facing the blustery day; Little Red Riding Hood could feel that something was troubling her. Mother collected the spare pegs and was blown back indoors. Her skirt whipped up into a windswept tent. Little Red Riding Hood caught her blurry stare, “Mother, are you alright?”

5 of 12

“Err, yes, well, no,” she garbled. “Your grandmother is unwell.” Little Red Riding Hood looked at her coat and touched it gently and felt sadness deep in her stomach.She looked back at her Mother whose eyes had given way. She threw her arms around her,kissed her hot cheek and tasted the salt of her tears. “I'll go and see her and take her some flowers and fruit.”

6 of 12

Little Red Riding Hood's idea excited her and she pelted around the house scooping up items she could bring in her basket. Mother was relieved that Little Red Riding Hood was responding in such a practical way and began to join her daughter in gathering gifts for the visit: two chocolate cakes, three books, handkerchiefs.

7 of 12

At last, Little Red Riding Hood felt sufficiently laden to embark on her journey and waved her mother goodbye with a smile and a swing of her cape. She skipped energetically through the dense undergrowth of the woodland. Small snowdrops waved at Little Red Riding Hood and tides of yellow daffodils danced in the subtle shafts of sunlight. Little Red Riding Hood bent down to pick a few for Grandma and a shudder of fear prickled down her back. She gasped and quickly looked over her shoulder; she felt that someone or something was watching her.

Who could it be?

Hastily, she gathered up the flowers; the fresh scent of daffodils invaded her space. She breathed. She breathed more slowly.

8 of 12

The sound of a twig snapping alerted her and she was sure she saw a shadow flit in between some trees in the distance. “I need to hurry to Grandma's,'' she thought to herself. As she moved on, she could see the comforting familiarity of Grandma's house on the horizon settled in a clearing of the woods. Little Red Riding Hood saw some blackberries tangled in the fauna by some low-lying trees and knew these would definitely make Grandma feel better.

9 of 12

She decided to collect some and crouched low to get a closer glimpse of the ripest ones, she tasted a few. The burst of fruitiness was tart with a sweet aftermath and she was very pleased with her find. Grandma's door was now in sight. Little Red Riding Hood sung her favourite song and woodland creatures pricked up their ears. There was a nearby whistle melodiously akin to her song. She looked up: a woodcutter had joined in with her singing. He waved. She smiled and skipped on. Strangely, Grandma's door was ajar;Little Red Riding Hood pushed at it tentatively! The creak of the hinges left a hollow resonance in the air. Little Red Riding Hood was waiting expectantly to smell the familiar lavender wafts of Grandma but the aroma didn't hit her. “That's strange!” she thought as she crept towards her bedroom. Entering cautiously, she could see Grandma tucked up in bed but she certainly didn't look like her normal self. “You must be feeling poorly!” Little Red Riding Hood remarked. Grandma nodded. Little Red Riding Hood shuffled closer to her bedside and peered into her eyes. “What big eyes you have Grandma!” She couldn't hide the fact that she felt unnerved and a little puzzled about how awful she actually did look. She couldn't believe that only ten days ago she’d seemed so full of vitality and her cheeks had glowed a rosy pink under her crocheted blanket. Grandma coughed, her breath a sickly musty stench. “All the better to see you with my dear!”

10 of 12

Little Red Riding Hood was taken aback: Grandma was acting strangely and very unlike her normal self. “What big ears you have Grandma!”

“All the better to hear you with!” she replied. For a moment, Little Red Riding Hood thought about commenting on her out-of-control facial hair but reconsidered as she thought Grandma would take offence. Little Red Riding Hood knew Grandma had been having problems with her false set of teeth but didn't remember them being this over-sized: they hardly fit into her mouth. However, she felt compelled to ask her about them. “What big teeth you have Grandma!” she said.

11 of 12

“All the better to eat you with!” was the vicious reply. Without warning,Grandma leaped up from her bed (except Little Red Riding Hood could now see she was the wolf in disguise) and lunged violently at her with jaws wide open and displayed two sharpened fangs. “Help!” Her screams echoed far into the dark depths of the woodland. Suddenly, with an almighty crash, the woodcutter burst through Grandma's doorway and prized Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf's deadly grip. With one hefty swipe of his axe, the wolf was gone.

Silence.

12 of 12

Everyone stopped to listen. There was a muffled whisper coming from the wardrobe. “I'm here,” was the faint retort. Little Red Riding Hood’s eyes darted towards the wardrobe and she flung open the doors with both hands. It was Grandma! The lavender scent wafted into the room and the delighted young girl threw her arms around her and helped her onto the bed. The three of them, Grandma, Little Red Riding Hood and the woodcutter sat huddled together a little dazed, munching on blackberries. “What big berries you have!” announced the woodcutter.

Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma laughed.