Little Red Hat

Every night as a child before I went to bed, I was always told a bed time story. In each story the prince always rescued the princess or the story was full of magic and enchantment and it always made me have a happy thought by the time the story had came to an end. One of the fairy tales I remember having a happy ending was Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Red Riding Hood was told to bring her grandmother a pot of butter and some cookies to make her feel better, but by the end of her little journey she knew never to talk to strangers again. She encounters a wolf who swallows her grandmother whole and herself too. When the huntsman found the wolf she was left to be alive in the wolf’s stomach. This is the American story now when it comes to Italy and Austria they tell their story a little different.

Little Red “Hat” is told to bring her grandmother some soup to make her feel better. On her way to bringing her home some soup she encounters an ogre who befriends her. Little Red Hat tells the ogre all of her grandmother information and does not realize what he has in mind for her.

"Little Red Hat opened the door, went inside, and said, "Grandmother, I am hungry."

The ogre replied, "Go to the kitchen cupboard. There is still a little rice there."

Little Red Hat went to the cupboard and took the teeth out. "Grandmother, these things are very hard!"

"Eat and keep quiet. They are your grandmother's teeth!"

"What did you say?"

"Eat and keep quiet!"

A little while later Little Red Hat said, "Grandmother, I'm still hungry."

"Go back to the cupboard," said the ogre. "You will find two pieces of chopped meat there."

Little Red Hat went to the cupboard and took out the jaws. "Grandmother, this is very red!"

"Eat and keep quiet. They are your grandmother's jaws!"

"What did you say?"

"Eat and keep quiet!"

A little while later Little Red Hat said, "Grandmother, I'm thirsty."

"Just look in the cupboard," said the ogre. "There must be a little wine there."

Little Red Hat went to the cupboard and took out the blood. "Grandmother, this wine is very red!"

"Drink and keep quiet. It is your grandmother's blood!

"What did you say?"

A little while later Little Red Hat said, "Grandmother, I'm sleepy."

"Take off your clothes and get into bed with me!" replied the ogre.

"Grandmother, you have such a big mouth!"

"That comes from eating children!" said the ogre, and bam, he swallowed Little Red Hat with one gulp."

In this story Little Red Hat has no second chanced as in the American version. Its told much differently and would make a child never want to talk to a stranger because they would know that if something is done wrong they may not have the chance to fix their mistake. Not all fairy tales have happy endings.