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Title : Red Riding Hood

Author : Lydia L. A. Very

Release date : April 2, 2010 [eBook #31868]
Most recently updated: January 6, 2021

Language : English

Credits : Produced by Meredith Bach, Irma Spehar, Markus Brenner and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive/American
Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RED RIDING HOOD *** 

  

   Red Riding Hood
  

  

   
    Red Riding Hood
   
  

  

   Entered according to Act of Congress in the year
   

   1863, by
   
    L. Prang & Co.
   
   in Clerk’s office of
   

   the district court of Mass.
  

  

   

    

     
      There was a lonely cabin
      

     
     
      Within a dark, old wood,
      

     
     
      And in it, with her mother
      

     
     
      There dwelt Red Riding Hood.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      The tall old trees above them
      

     
     
      Their winter fire supplied
      

     
     
      When Autumn’s flaming sunsets
      

     
     
      From their red leaves had died.
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      The rippling brook, their water
      

     
     
      From far off mountains brought;
      

     
     
      And prattled of their summits
      

     
     
      In icy statues wrought.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      For them, the squirrels hoarded
      

     
     
      Their nuts in hollow trees;
      

     
     
      And pounds of sweetest honey
      

     
     
      Were made them by the bees;
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      To gather these together
      

     
     
      Was work enough to do;
      

     
     
      Little Red Riding Hood thought so,
      

     
     
      An so, no doubt, would you.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Blushing beneath her fingers
      

     
     
      Looked up the berries red;
      

     
     
      The flowers seemed to know her
      

     
     
      And listened for her tread.
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      For she was good and loving
      

     
     
      And beautiful as good,
      

     
     
      With daily acts of kindness,
      

     
     
      Little Red Riding Hood.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Afar off, in the forest,
      

     
     
      There lived her grandam old;
      

     
     
      And she was poor and needy,
      

     
     
      And often sick and cold.
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      And once a week, her grandchild
      

     
     
      Would walk the lonely wood,
      

     
     
      And carry little bundles
      

     
     
      Of faggots and of food.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      One morn the mother started
      

     
     
      The maid upon her way,
      

     
     
      And said, “now you must carry
      

     
     
      To grandmamma to day.”
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      “This little pot of butter
      

     
     
      I’ve churned so nice and sweet;
      

     
     
      And mind not stop and prattle
      

     
     
      With any one you meet!”
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Then through the shady forest
      

     
     
      The little maiden went;
      

     
     
      And though her steps were fleetest,
      

     
     
      The day was well nigh spent,
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      When nearby through her journey,
      

     
     
      An old, gaunt Wolf she spied,
      

     
     
      Who wagged his tail, and humbly
      

     
     
      Came walking by her side;
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      And said, “my little maiden,
      

     
     
      How very fair you are!
      

     
     
      You really look quite handsome!
      

     
     
      Where do you walk so far?”
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      Forgetful of her mother,
      

     
     
      She stopped and told him where;
      

     
     
      Then said the Wolf, so cunning,
      

     
     
      “What is it that you bear?”
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Forgetful of her mother,
      

     
     
      She stood and told him what;
      

     
     
      “Tis butter, for my grandma,
      

     
     
      Packed nicely in this pot.”
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      Then said the Wolf, “good by dear;
      

     
     
      Perhaps we’ll meet again!”
      

     
     
      Then swiftly on he hastened,
      

     
     
      Swiftly through dale and glen,
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      And running reached before her
      

     
     
      The cabin grey and old;
      

     
     
      Her grandmamma was absent—
      

     
     
      He quickly did infold
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      Himself in cap and night gown
      

     
     
      Then quickly on the bed,
      

     
     
      Closely upon the pillow
      

     
     
      He laid his grizzly head.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Red Riding Hood soon entered;
      

     
     
      “O, grandmamma, see here!
      

     
     
      A little pot of butter!”
      

     
     
      Where is my grandma dear?
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      “Here,” said the Wolf, well feigning,
      

     
     
      Her grandma’s voice, so weak;
      

     
     
      “I’m here, so sick my darling,
      

     
     
      That I can scarcely speak!”
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      “Take off your clothes my darling,
      

     
     
      Upon the bed come lie;
      

     
     
      When you are here beside me
      

     
     
      I’ll be better by and by!”
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      Red Riding Hood obeyed her
      

     
     
      And got upon the bed;
      

     
     
      “O grandmamma how altered
      

     
     
      You are!” she quickly said
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      “O what GREAT EYES my grandma!
      

     
     
      They never looked so before—”
      

     
     
      “That’s to see you the better my darling,
      

     
     
      The larger, to see you more!”
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      “What a GREAT NOSE my grandma
      

     
     
      It never looked so before!”
      

     
     
      “That’s to smell you better, my darling;
      

     
     
      The larger to smell you more!”
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      “And what GREAT HANDS my grandma
      

     
     
      They never looked so before!”
      

     
     
      “That’s to hold you tight my darling
      

     
     
      And to hug you more and more!”
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      “What a GREAT MOUTH my grandma!
      

     
     
      As large as your tin cup!”
      

     
     
      “That’s to open wide my beauty
      

     
     
      And then to eat you up!”
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Then he opened his great mouth wider
      

     
     
      To eat her like a bird
      

     
     
      But at that dreadful moment
      

     
     
      A hunter’s gun was heard
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      The Wolf fell dead and bleeding—
      

     
     
      Then grandma hastened in—
      

     
     
      For she had seen the peril
      

     
     
      The danger that had been!
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Red Riding Hood wept sadly
      

     
     
      And sorrowed more and more,
      

     
     
      That she’d disobeyed her mother—
      

     
     
      Which she never did before.
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    

     
      And she thought with fear & trembling
      

     
     
      Of the death that came so near!
      

     
     
      And she said the fright had taught her
      

     
     
      To mind her mother dear.
      

     
    

    

     
    

    

     
      Then listen, all ye children,
      

     
     
      And mind your mother’s word!
      

     
     
      For the great WOLF, men call EVIL
      

     
     
      Is prowling round unheard!
      

     
    

   

  

  

   

    
     Written & Designed by LYDIA L. VERY.
    
    

    
     Published by
    
    

    
     
      L. PRANG & C
      
       o
      
      .
     
    
    

    
     Nº. 159 Washington S.
     
      t
     
     Boston, Mass.