Is little red riding hood the wolf

Little Red Riding Hood - Students | Britannica Kids

Little Red Riding Hood is a character in a children’s tale of the same name who encounters a wolf on the way to visit her ailing grandmother. Depending on the version of the story, she is either eaten by the wolf or is saved by a woodsman or hunter.

The story of Little Red Riding Hood has countless versions, many of which reflect the concerns and moral issues of the period in which each version was produced. The story probably originated in the Middle Ages in Europe, most likely as a cautionary story warning small children about the dangers of the woods, especially of the beast and humans that they might encounter there. Some historians believe that the wolf of the Little Red Riding Hood story was initially a werewolf and that the story first formed during the 16th and 17th centuries when a large number of trials were held throughout Europe in which men were accused of being werewolves who had molested or killed and eaten young children. Over time, as the fear of werewolves subsided, the wolf probably replaced the werewolf as the villain of the Little Red Riding Hood story.

The earliest written version was published by Charles Perrault in 1697. Perrault most likely adapted the story from an oral folktale that he had heard in France. In Perrault’s version the main elements of the Little Red Riding Hood tale were first recorded: a young girl dressed in a red cloak who, on her way to visit her ailing grandmother, encounters a wolf. Little Red Riding Hood befriends the wolf who races her to the grandmother’s house and eats the grandmother. The wolf then hides under the covers in the grandmother’s bed and lures the girl to the bed where he eats the little girl. The story is followed by a moral warning young children, especially little girls, of trusting strangers.

Another famous version of the Little Red Riding Hood tale is that written by the Brothers Grimm. In the Grimms’ version Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are both eaten by the wolf but saved by a woodsman who cuts the two out of the wolf’s stomach when the animal is sleeping and then fills the wolf’s stomach with heavy stones. When the wolf wakes up he falls down and dies from the weight of the stones in his stomach.

Although there is some evidence that some earlier oral versions depicted Little Red Riding Hood escaping the wolf through her own wits, most written editions of the story available today end with Little Red Riding Hood being eaten or saved by a hunter or woodsman. For the most part, the ending of the story depends of the moral which the author of the story aspired to teach young children. Another significant difference between certain versions of the story is the characterization of Little Red Riding Hood and the reasons that she is an easy prey for the wolf. Above all, this element tends to reflect the prevailing attitudes of the period in which each story was recorded. Toward the end of the 19th century, for example, Little Red Riding Hood is often shown to be susceptible to the wolf’s charms because of her willingness to disobey her mother’s warnings and to idly chat and gossip with the wolf, features that reflect the prevailing morals of the Victorian era. Other versions offer a similar mirror to the social mores and norms of the period in which they were written.

Better to teach you with: The Terrifying real story of Little Red Riding hood

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Fairy tales are extremely old, some experts estimate the tradition is 6000 years old.

This children’s story is far more “metal” then the one we tell today.

It is no question that several of the original Grimm’s fairy tales have aged quite terribly, with some being referred to by many under the tongue-in-cheek title of “Grim Fairy Tales”. However, one of the most beloved children’s fairy-tales to come from such a dark and bizarre origin is that of “Little Red Riding Hood”.

The story of Little Red Riding Hood is pretty much common knowledge at this point, however it should be repeated in its more well-known version before diving into its original telling.

Red Riding Hood is a little girl nicknamed such for the red jacket she always wears. On her way to bring food to her sick Grandmother’s house, she meets a cunning wolf who inquires about her business, learning from the innocent little girl where her grandmother lives.

He then distracts the girl by encouraging her to pick flowers while he rushes to the Grandmother’s house and devours her, taking her place in bed.

Red Riding Hood arrives and discovers the ruse too late, before she is either swallowed whole as well or is chased through the forest by the wolf. In the end, she and her grandmother are both rescued by a woodcutter in the area and live happily ever after.

Here is the original tale published in the book “Mother Goose Tales” by Charles Perrault. Upon learning of Red Riding Hood’s grandmother, the wolf rushes to the house, kills the grandmother and then slices the corpse into meat cuts as well as gathering her blood in a bottle.

Red Riding Hood arrives soon after with bread and milk. The wolf, disguised as the grandmother, urges the girl to eat the “meat and wine” in the cellar.

Though it is only implied, a cat notices and calls out Red Riding Hood for eating her grandmother naming her an insensitive epithet. The wolf then encourages Red Riding Hood to enter the bed with him after throwing her red jacket into the fireplace, insisting she won’t need it anymore. Red Riding Hood complies and is devoured. Where is the woodcutter? He’s not in this story. That is how it ends. Rather horrifying in today’s standards wouldn’t you say?

French Author Charles Perrault, responsible for compiling other fairytales, most notably “Cinderella”, spoke out in defense to the backlash this story received.

In an article on the blog “Once upon a time” by Genevieve Carlton, Perrault stated the story was about the danger of trusting strangers which he personified as a wolf, those appearing “gentle” to be “most dangerous.”

Upon further examination, his symbolism becomes less and less subtle. For instance, the “gentle” wolf encouraging the girl to leave behind her jacket (symbol of the innocent person she was before) and join him in bed.

Folktales at the time were not meant to entertain, but educate. With a life expectancy significantly shorter than our current ones, children were raised to be moral and careful as they matured faster.

A story with a terrifying conclusion is far more effective and real than one with a happy ending. There are still wolves who mask their intent by appearing “gentle” that is the true horror- how correct the original story is in today’s standards.

Little Red Riding Hood - Charles Perrault, read online

Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her mother loved her without memory, and her grandmother even more. For her granddaughter's birthday, her grandmother gave her a red cap. Since then, the girl went everywhere in it. Neighbors said this about her:

— Here comes Little Red Riding Hood!

Once a mother baked a pie and said to her daughter:

— Go, Little Red Riding Hood, to your grandmother, bring her a pie and a pot of butter and find out if she is healthy.

Little Red Riding Hood gathered and went to her grandmother.

She is walking through the forest, and towards her is a gray wolf.

— Where are you going, Little Red Riding Hood? Wolf asks.

— I go to my grandmother and bring her a pie and a pot of butter.

— Does your grandmother live far away?

“Far away,” answers Little Red Riding Hood. - Over there in that village, behind the mill, in the first house from the edge.

— All right, — Wolf says, — I also want to visit your grandmother. I'll go down this road, and you go down that one. Let's see which one of us comes first.

The Wolf said this and ran as fast as he could along the shortest path.

And Little Red Riding Hood went along the longest road. She walked slowly, stopping along the way, picking flowers and collecting them in bouquets. Before she had even reached the mill, the Wolf had already galloped up to her grandmother's house and was knocking on the door: knock-knock!

Who is there? Grandma asks.

- It's me, your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood, - the Wolf answers, - I came to visit you, I brought a pie and a pot of butter.

And my grandmother was sick at the time and was in bed. She thought it was really Little Red Riding Hood and called out:

— Pull the string, my child, and the door will open!

The wolf pulled the string and the door opened.

The wolf rushed at the grandmother and swallowed her at once. He was very hungry because he had not eaten anything for three days. Then he closed the door, lay down on his grandmother's bed and began to wait for Little Red Riding Hood.

Soon she came and knocked:
Knock Knock!

Who is there? Wolf asks. And his voice is rough, hoarse.

Little Red Riding Hood was frightened, but then she thought that her grandmother was hoarse from a cold, and answered:

— It's me, your granddaughter. I brought you a pie and a pot of butter!

The wolf cleared his throat and said more subtly:

— Pull the string, my child, the door will open.

Little Red Riding Hood pulled the rope-door and opened it. The girl entered the house, and the Wolf hid under the covers and said:

- Granddaughter, put the pie on the table, put the pot on the shelf, and lie down next to me!

Little Red Riding Hood lay down next to the Wolf and asked:

— Grandmother, why do you have such big hands?

- This is to hug you tighter, my child.

— Grandmother, why do you have such big ears?

— To hear better, my child.

— Grandmother, why do you have such big eyes?

— To see better, my child.

— Grandma, why do you have such big teeth?

— And this is to eat you as soon as possible, my child!

Before Little Red Riding Hood had time to gasp, the Wolf rushed at her and swallowed her.

But, fortunately, at that time, woodcutters with axes on their shoulders were passing by the house. They heard a noise, ran into the house and killed the Wolf. And then they cut open his belly, and Little Red Riding Hood came out, and behind her and grandmother - both whole and unharmed.

Fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood - Charles Perrault. Read online.

A short story about a trusting girl and a cunning gray wolf. Disobeying her mother, the girl turns off the road and talks to a stranger - a gray wolf ...

– Go, Little Red Riding Hood, to your grandmother, bring her a pie and a pot of butter and find out if she is healthy.

Little Red Riding Hood got ready and went to her grandmother.

She is walking through the forest, and towards her is a gray wolf.

– Where are you going. Little Red Riding Hood? Wolf asks.

– I go to my grandmother and bring her a pie and a pot of butter.

– Does your grandmother live far away?

“Far away,” answers Little Red Riding Hood. - Over there in that village, behind the mill, in the first house from the edge.

- All right, - says the Wolf, - I also want to visit your grandmother. I'll go down this road, and you go down that one. Let's see which one of us comes first.

Wolf said this and ran as fast as he could along the shortest path.

And Little Red Riding Hood went along the longest road. She walked slowly, stopping along the way, picking flowers and collecting them in bouquets.

Before she had even reached the mill, the Wolf had already galloped up to her grandmother's house and was knocking on the door:
Knock-knock!

– Who is there? Grandma asks.

- It's me, your granddaughter, Little Red Riding Hood, - answers the Wolf, - I came to visit you, I brought a pie and a pot of butter.

Grandmother was sick at the time and was in bed. She thought it was really Little Red Riding Hood and called out:

“Pull the string, my child, and the door will open!”

The wolf pulled the string - the door opened.

Soon she came and knocked:
Knock knock!

– Who is there? Wolf asks. And his voice is rough, hoarse.

Little Red Riding Hood was frightened, but then she thought that her grandmother was hoarse from a cold, and answered:

– It's me, your granddaughter. I brought you a pie and a pot of butter!

The wolf cleared his throat and said more subtly:

Pull the string, my child, and the door will open.

Little Red Riding Hood pulled the rope-door and opened it. The girl entered the house, and the Wolf hid under the covers and said:

- Granddaughter, put the pie on the table, put the pot on the shelf, and lie down next to me!

Little Red Riding Hood lay down next to the Wolf and asked:

– Grandmother, why do you have such big hands?

- This is to hug you tighter, my child.

– Grandmother, why do you have such big ears?

– To hear better, my child.

– Grandmother, why do you have such big eyes?

– To see better, my child.