The story of the good little girl and the big bad wolf has been told in dozens, if not hundreds, of different ways. The three versions below share some details, but they have very different endings.
Click each version to see a different writer’s approach to the same part of the story―the scene when Little Red Riding Hood enters her grandmother’s home. As you read each version, see if you can identify the differences.
In this version by Charles Perrault, Little Red Riding-Hood has just reached her grandmother’s door.
"Who is there?"
Little Red Riding-Hood was frightened at first, on hearing the Wolf's gruff voice, but thinking that her grandmother had a cold, she answered, "It is your grand-daughter, Little Red Riding-Hood. I have brought a cake and a little jar of butter, which my mother has sent you."
The Wolf called out, this time in rather a softer voice, "Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up." Little Red Riding-Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened.
When the Wolf saw her come in, he hid himself under the bedclothes, and said to her, "Put the cake and the little jar of butter in the cupboard, and come into bed with me."
Little Red Riding-Hood undressed, and went to the bedside, and was very much astonished to see how different her grandmother looked to what she did when she was up and dressed.
"Grandmother," she exclaimed, "what long arms you have!"
"All the better to embrace you with, my little girl."
"Grandmother, what long legs you have!"
"All the better to run with, child."
"Grandmother, what long ears you have!"
"All the better to hear with, child."
"Grandmother, what large eyes you have!"
"All the better to see with, child."
"Grandmother, what large teeth you have!"
"All the better to eat you with!" and saying these words, the wicked Wolf sprang out upon Little Red Riding-Hood, and ate her up.
Question
According to the poem, what is the moral of this story?
This scene in the version by the Grimm brothers begins after “Red-Cap” is already in her grandmother’s house. The grandmother has a tall bed with curtains around it.
She called out, “Good morning,” but received no answer. So, she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. There lay her Grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange.
“Oh! Grandmother,” she said, “what big ears you have!”
“The better to hear you with, my Child,” was the reply.
“But, Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” she said.
“The better to see you with, my dear.”
“But, Grandmother, what large hands you have!”
“The better to hug you with.”
“Oh! but Grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!”
“The better to eat you with!” And scarcely had the Wolf said this then with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up Red-Cap.
When the Wolf had satisfied his appetite, he lay down again in the bed, fell asleep, and began to snore very loud. The huntsman was just passing the house, and thought to himself, “How the old woman is snoring! I must just see if she wants anything.”
So, he went into the room, and when he came to the bed, he saw the Wolf lying in it. “Do I find thee here, thou old sinner!” said he. “I have long sought thee!”
Then, just as he was going to fire at him, it occurred to him that the Wolf might have devoured the grandmother, and that she might still be saved. So, he did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping Wolf.
When he had made two snips, he saw the little Red-Cap shining, and then he made two snips more, and the little girl sprang out, crying, “Ah, how frightened I have been! How dark it was inside the Wolf!”
And after that, the aged grandmother came out alive also, but scarcely able to breathe. Red-Cap then quickly fetched great stones with which they filled the Wolf’s body. And when he awoke, he wanted to run away, but the stones were so heavy that he tumbled down at once, and fell dead.
Then all three were delighted. The huntsman drew off the Wolf’s skin and went home with it. The grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine which Red-Cap had brought, and grew strong again.
But Red-Cap thought to herself, “As long as I live, I will never leave the path to run into the wood, when my mother has forbidden me to do so.”
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In this version, the grandmother and Red-Cap are both saved by the woodcutter, who cuts them out of the wolf’s stomach. Also, Red-Cap participates in the wolf’s death by filling its body with heavy stones. |
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The protagonist learns that she should do as she is told, but nothing about interacting with strangers. |
This version of the scene was written by Logan Marshall. Marshall includes additional details in Red’s conversation with her grandmother.
"Who is there?" called out the wolf.
"It is Little Red Riding-Hood, grandmother dear. I have brought you some butter and eggs and a fresh-baked cake which mother has made for you."
Then the wolf called out, disguising his voice as much as he could:
"Pull the bobbin and the latch will go up." So Little Red Riding-Hood pulled the bobbin and went inside.
"Good morning, dear grandmother," she said. "How are you feeling today?"
"Very bad indeed, my dear," answered the wolf, trying to hide himself under the bedclothes.
"How strange and hoarse your voice sounds, grandmother," said the little girl.
"I have got a bad cold, my dear," said the wicked wolf.
"Grandmother, what very bright eyes you have!" went on Red Riding-Hood, surprised to see how strange her grandmother looked in her nightclothes.
"The better to see you with, my dear," said the wolf.
"Grandmother, what very big ears you have!"
"The better to hear you with, my child."
"Grandmother, what very long arms you have!"
"The better to hug you with, my dear."
"But, grandmother, what great big teeth you have," said Red Riding-Hood, who was beginning to get frightened.
"The better to eat you with," roared the wolf, suddenly jumping out of bed. He seized hold of poor Little Red Riding-Hood, and was just about to eat her up, when there was a great noise outside, and the door burst open and in rushed the wood-cutters, who had seen the wolf talking to the little girl in the wood, and came to see what mischief he was up to.
They killed the wicked wolf quite dead; and so Little Red Riding-Hood was saved, and ran home to tell her mother all about her terrible adventure.
Question
How is this version different from the other two?
