Little Red Riding Hood was a willing child and liked to be useful, and, besides, she loved her grandmother dearly. So she put the things in a basket and set out at once for the village where her grandmother lived, on the other side of the wood.

Just as she came to the edge of the wood Red Riding Hood met a wolf, who said to her, "Good morning, Little Red Riding Hood." He would have liked to eat her on the spot, but some woodcutters were at work near by, and he feared they might kill him in turn. "Good morning, Master Wolf," replied the little girl, who had no thought of being afraid.

"And where may you be going?" said the wolf.

"I am going to my grandmother's," replied Little Red Riding Hood, "to

take her a cake and a pot of butter, for she is ill."

"And where does poor grandmother live?" asked the wolf.

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Down past the mill, on the other side of the wood," said the simplehearted child.

"Well, I don't mind if I go and see her, too," said the wolf; "so I'll take this road, and do you take that, and we shall see which of us will be there soonest."

He knew well enough that he had the nearest way, for he could dash through the underbrush, and swim a pond, and so, by a very short cut, bring himself to the old dame's door. He guessed, too, that the little girl would stop to gather strawberries in the wood, and make a nosegay of sweet flowers for her old grandmother.

And sure enough, the wolf, who cared neither for strawberries nor wild flowers, was very soon at the cottage.

He knocked at the door with his paw, thump! thump!

"Who is there?" cried grandmother. "It's I, your grandchild, Little Red Riding Hood, come to see how you are, and to bring you a cake and a pot of butter," said the wolf, as well as he could. He made his voice sound like that of the little girl.

"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will fly up," called grandmother from her bed.

The wolf pulled the bobbin, and in he went. Without a word he sprang upon the old woman and ate her up in no time, for he had not tasted food for three days.

Then he shut the door, and got into the grandmother's bed, but first he put

cap

on her and nightgown. He laughed in his sleeve to think of the trick he

was to play upon Little Red Riding Hood, who must soon be coming.

All this time Little Red Riding Hood was on her way through the wood.

She stopped to listen to the birds that sang so sweetly over her head, she picked the sweet strawberries that her grandmother liked, and she made a bright nosegay of the flowers that sprang all along her way.

A wasp buzzed about her head and lighted on her flowers.

"Eat as much as you like," she said, "only do not sting me." He buzzed the louder, but soon flew away.

And a little bird, a tomtit, came and pecked at the strawberries in her basket. "Take all you want, pretty

tomtit," said Hood; "there will still be plenty left for grandmother and me." "Tweat, tweat," sang the bird, and was soon out of sight.

Little Red Riding

And now she came upon an old dame who was looking for cresses. "Let me fill your basket,” she said; and she gave her the bread she had brought to eat by the

way.

The dame soon rose and, patting the little maid upon the head, said, “Thank you, Little Red Riding Hood; and now, if you should meet the green huntsman as you go, pray give him my respects, and tell him there is game in the wind."

Little Red Riding Hood looked all about for the green huntsman. She had never seen or heard of such a person before.