Little Red Riding Wolf
Once upon a time, there was a little wolf pup. He was like all other little wolves, except for a small red patch atop his head that earned him the nickname "Little Red". Little Red was an adventurous little pup who liked to explore everything he could. Yet, there was nothing he wanted to explore more than the forest behind his house. However, his parents refused to allow him to.
"Why can't I?" He whined one day.
"Because." His mother replied. "The forest is a frightening place full of dangerous creatures."
"The scariest creature there is a mysterious creature called a Mann." His father added. "The Mann only has fur on his head and face. The rest of his body is covered in pale skin and nothing else. He has no tail and his ears stick out of the sides of his head, rather than the top." Little Red shivered. The Mann sounded like a very scary creature.
A few days later, Little Red's mother was putting together a basket of baked goods for her mother, like any good child would.
"Can I take it to grandma?" Little Red asked excitedly. His mother considered it.
"Hmm... well, I don't see why not, as long as you stick to the main road." Little Red nodded.
"I promise!" He said. Now, Little Red was a clever young pup, so he knew that the forest offered a far quicker route, which he planned to take. He received the basket, kissed his mother good-bye, and then was on his way.
It was a beautiful summer day, so Little Red's stroll through the peaceful forest was quite delightful. The idyllic scene was interrupted, however, by an enormous beast bursting out of the bushes. Little Red stared at it in fear. This monster was completely furless except for a large amount on his head and face, as well as around his 'naughty parts', for this monster was not wearing clothes like any self-respecting fur would have been.
"Where are you heading on this fine day, oh little wolf?" The creature snarled. Little Red tried not to quiver in fear.
"To my grandma's house." He replied. The Mann chuckled.
"Your grandma's house? What do you have in that basket?"
"It's for my grandma, not you!" The Mann growled.
"Why don't you just let me see?" Little Red growled right back.
"Because it's not yours!" He darted around the Mann and continued along his way to his grandmother's house.
Now, the Mann was very angry about this encounter as he was not used to anyone defying him. So, he dashed through the forest in the same direction of the little wolf, using his long legs to cover a great deal of ground. He made it to the cottage long before Little Red made it. He knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" The house from within the cottage was aged, but warm and inviting.
"It's Little Red, your grandson." The Mann called out, trying his best to sound like the pup.
"Is something wrong, dear?" The voice replied. "You sound like you're a little hoarse." The Mann searched for a believable excuse.
"I'm not a horse, I'm a wolf!" He heard a chuckle from inside and the unlocking of the door.
"Come on in, my dear." The door opened and the Mann attacked, knocking the elderly wolf off of her paws. Before she could react, the Mann tied her up and threw her in the closet.
"I'll be eating you a little later, my dear." The Mann sneered. "First, there's a little wolf coming to bring me some goodies." He disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Barely ten minutes later, Little Red knocked at the door, but there was no answer.
"Grandma?" He called out. There was still no answer. Now, Little Red had been raised to not go into other's house without being inviting, but he figured that this was an emergency. He opened the door and cautiously walked in. Surely his grandmother would not be angry that he had let himself in. "Grandma?" He called again.
"Oh! Hello, dear!" The falsetto voice coming from the bedroom was clearly not his grandmother's.
"Grandma? Are you okay?"
"Of couse, dear!" The voice replied grandly. "Never better!" Now this was especially suspicious to Little Red.
"But my mama said that you were sick." Little Red replied.
"I'm feeling much better." The voice replied. Little Red walked right up to the bedroom door and threw it open. Standing there was his grandmother, but she looked different. "Is something wrong, precious?" She asked. Little Red studied his grandmother and noticed that her nightgown only reached slightly below her knee.
"I've never noticed how tall you are." His grandmother chuckled.
"I ate my vegetables when I was a little pup."
"What big eyes you have!" His grandmother laughed again.
"All the better to see you with."
"What long arms you have!"
"All the better to hug you with!" She hugged him. Little Red knew his grandmother's hugs and this was not one of them.
"What yellow teeth you have!" In that instant, the Mann grew sick of the game.
"All the better to eat you with!" He tackled the little wolf, opening his mouth wide.
"What did you do with my grandma?" Little Red yelled. Now, the Mann was an arrogant creature, and he felt a burning need to explain his clever plan.
"Well, young pup, she's tied up in the closet. I'm gonna eat her a little later." Little Red's eyes grew.
"You can't eat my granny!" He lunged and bit the Mann's ankle. Since his skin was bare and the nightgown he was wearing was too short, the Mann had no protection from the little wolf's sharp teeth. He bellowed in pain so loud that a woodcutter nearby heard the noise and came running. He burst into the house and saw the Mann running around in pain, Little Red holding fast to his ankle, growling ferociously.
"Stop!" He bellowed, his ursine voice echoing through the tiny cabin. Both the Mann and Little Red immediately stopped and stared at the enormous bear standing in the doorway. "What is going on here?" He pointed at Little Red, for from the mouth of babes, truth springs.
"He's gonna eat my granny!" Little Red yelled, pointing at the Mann. The woodcutter growled, having heard tales of the many crimes the Mann had committed.
"Is that so?" He said thoughtfully, bringing his axe down from his shoulder. The Mann shuddered in fear.
"Please don't hurt me." The Mann whimpered. The woodcutter laughed coldly.
"I think I have every right to hurt you. You were trying to hurt this adorable little pup. Where did you hide his grandmother, anyway?" The Mann sheepishly walked over to the hall closet and opened it, revealing the bound and gagged old wolf. The woodcutter growled. "Abusing your elders! Untie her at once!" The Mann obeyed, his hands shaking so much that they complicated the untying process greatly. At last, Little Red's grandmother was free and the two wolves embraced. The woodcutter walked over and grabbed the Mann's nape with his powerful paw. "You're coming with me. I'll make sure that you never disturb this good folks again." The woodcutter and the Mann walked off into the woods, the woodcutter growling and the Mann whimpering. No one ever saw the Mann again, and if you're in the town tavern on just the right night, perhaps you can ask the woodcutter exactly what he did. Perhaps that's a story for another day...