Once upon a time,
long long ago
when beasts could talk
like us you know -

a little girl named
Red Riding Hood
went to her Grandmama’s
through the wood.

She went to take
some butter and cake
and a posie of flowers
she’d stopped to make.

A great big wolf lay under a tree.
“Good morning, Red Riding Hood!” said he.

“Good morning, Sir,”
said the brave little maid
although she was just a little afraid.

“And where are you going,
my little Red Hood?”
“I’m going to Grandmama’s
through the wood.

Poor Granny is ill
and I’m going to take
this basket of flowers
and butter and cake.”

“I hope you find her better,”
said he, knowing quite well
what he’d like for tea!

And off ran the wolf
as fast as he could
to reach Granny’s house
before Red Riding Hood could.

He knocked on the door
and lifted the latch.
He slinked in slyly
hoping Granny to catch.

But Granny, though poorly,
was smart in the head.
She saw it was Wolfie and
slid under the bed.

Wolf was not happy
to find Gran not around
but he slipped on her nightcap
and blue flannel gown.

He jumped into her bed
and snuggled right down
DOWN ... DOWN ...
DOWN ... DOWN.

He pulled the covers up
over his nose
And lay back a-drifting
in a kind of a doze.

Then he heard footsteps
and opened one eye
and, licking his lips,
he awaited the cry:

“O, Granny, it’s me,
your little Red Hood.
I’ve come to visit you
through the wood.”

“Come in,” said the wolf,
his voice like a squeak.
I’m sorry. I’m sickly.
I hardly can speak.”

In came Red Riding Hood,
basket and all,
looked at the wolf and thought,
Granny’s got tall.

“Perhaps I should ask her
what’s wrong with her ear?”

“Oh that!” said Gran-Wolf,
“The better to hear.”

“But look at your arms -
like a big hairy rug.”

“Oh, that!” said Gran-Wolf.
“The better to hug.”

The little girl lifted
the covers beneath -
and then she saw
those terrible teeth.

What sickness is this?
she thought in alarm.
But remembering her mother said,
“Always stay calm.”
She said very gently,
“Do your teeth cause you pain?”

“Oh no,” said Gran-Wolf,
“except when it rains.
They’re big and they’re strong.
They can bite through a bone.
You really should not
have come here alone.”

He sprang out of bed
with a terrible growl.
And Red Riding Hood cried,
“Wolf! Wolf! Ow Wow!”

She pulled and pulled
till she pulled him down
and his feet all tangled
in Granny’s blue gown.

A woodcutter came in
and chopped off Wolf’s head
and Granny crept out
from under the bed.

I think
that’s all
that needs to be said.