The Red Hooded Wolf

The Tale of the Red Hooded Wolf

Deep in the forest, there lived a greedy wolf. His stomach was so empty that it was singing songs from hunger! One morning, he saw Little Red Riding Hood walking through the trees. He was very excited because he knew her basket was always full of yummy things.

The wolf blocked her path and asked in his kindest voice: "Where are you going, Little Red? What do you have in your basket?"

The girl smiled innocently: "I’m going to the bakery! I will buy a basket full of fresh, hot, buttery buns for my grandmother."

When the wolf heard the word "bun," his eyes sparkled. He made a plan right then and there. He tricked the girl and locked her in an old woodcutter’s cabin. Then, he stole her red hood and her empty basket. He pulled the hood so low that only his nose and sneaky eyes could be seen.

Suspicion at the Bakery

The wolf tried to walk on two legs and arrived at the bakery in town. The shopkeeper woman looked at this strange "girl" and frowned:

"Oh my dear, what happened to your face?" The wolf replied: "Oh, a very strong wind blew on the road, and it dried my skin, ma'am."

"And your eyes? Why are they so big and red?" The wolf said: "To see the smell of the buns better... I mean, because I didn't sleep!"

"What about your hands? Why are they so hairy and clawed?" The wolf answered: "I didn't wear gloves while making dough!"

Just as the woman was reaching for the buns, the door opened with a loud bang. A tired Hunter with a rifle on his back walked in. He looked into the wolf’s eyes and pointed his rifle: "Stop right there! I know that furry nose anywhere. You are not Little Red Riding Hood; you are the forest’s biggest thief, the greedy wolf!"

The Big Chase

When the hunter pointed his rifle, the shop went silent. The wolf tried to step back, but his tail got caught in a flour sack. Suddenly, a cloud of white flour covered everywhere!

The wolf tried to run to the door, but he slipped on the flour and fell down. The townspeople quickly surrounded him. The hunter pulled off the red hood and revealed the truth.

"Speak!" said the Hunter. "Where did you hide the girl, or I will lock you in the deepest dungeon!"

Rescue at the Cabin

The wolf realized he couldn't escape. He whispered: "In the old cabin at the edge of the forest! I was just very hungry, I only wanted the buns!"

The hunter and the townspeople ran to the cabin. They broke the door and found Little Red Riding Hood tied to a chair. She was safe. When she saw the hunter, she sighed with relief.

The Wolf’s Punishment

The wolf was put in a big cage in the town square. But that was not his only punishment:

• The Baker: Decided that the wolf must sweep the front of the shop all day.

• The Hunter: Made the wolf pick up trash in the forest every morning.

• Little Red Riding Hood: She felt sorry for the wolf and gave him one bun every evening—as long as he behaved well.

From then on, no one was afraid when they saw the wolf. Everyone knew that the greedy wolf had become the town’s furriest cleaner!