Prevod

Once upon a time there was a little village girl, the prettiest anyone had ever seen. Her mother doted on her, and her grandmother doted on her even more. The good woman had a little red hood made for her, which suited her so well that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One day, after baking some cakes, her mother said to her, “Go and see how your grandmother is, for I hear she is ill. Take her a cake and this little pot of butter.” Little Red Riding Hood set off at once for her grandmother’s house, which was in another village. As she was passing through a wood, she met Master Wolf, who very much wanted to eat her, but dared not because there were some woodcutters in the forest. He asked her where she was going. The poor child, who did not know how dangerous it is to stop and listen to a wolf, said, “I am going to see my grandmother and take her a cake and a little pot of butter that my mother is sending her.” “Does she live very far away?” asked the Wolf. “Oh yes,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “Beyond the mill you can see far, far over there, in the first house in the village.” “Well,” said the Wolf, “I should like to visit her too. I shall take this path, and you take that one, and we shall see who gets there first.”

The Wolf ran as fast as he could along the shorter path, while the little girl took the longer one, amusing herself by gathering hazelnuts, chasing butterflies, and making posies of the little flowers she found along the way. It did not take the Wolf long to reach the grandmother’s house. He knocked: tap, tap. “Who is there?” “It is your little girl, Little Red Riding Hood,” said the Wolf, imitating her voice, “bringing you a cake and a little pot of butter that my mother is sending you.” The good grandmother, who was in bed because she felt a little unwell, called out, “Pull the peg, and the latch will fall.” The Wolf pulled the peg, and the door opened. He pounced on the good woman and devoured her in no time at all, for he had eaten nothing for more than three days. Then he shut the door and lay down in the grandmother’s bed to wait for Little Red Riding Hood, who came knocking at the door some time later. Tap, tap. “Who is there?” Hearing the Wolf’s deep voice, Little Red Riding Hood was frightened at first, but thinking that her grandmother had a cold, she answered, “It is your little girl, Little Red Riding Hood, bringing you a cake and a little pot of butter that my mother is sending you.” Softening his voice a little, the Wolf called out, “Pull the peg, and the latch will fall.” Little Red Riding Hood pulled the peg, and the door opened. When the Wolf saw her come in, he hid beneath the bedclothes and said, “Put the cake and the little pot of butter on the bread chest, and come to bed with me.” Little Red Riding Hood undressed and climbed into bed, where she was much surprised to see what her grandmother looked like without her clothes. She said to her, “Grandmother, what big arms you have!” “All the better to hug you with, my girl.” “Grandmother, what big legs you have!” “All the better to run with, my child.” “Grandmother, what big ears you have!” “All the better to hear with, my child.” “Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” “All the better to see with, my child.” “Grandmother, what big teeth you have!” “All the better to eat you with.” And with these words, the wicked Wolf pounced on Little Red Riding Hood and ate her up.

MORAL. Here we see that young children, especially young girls, pretty, well-formed, and sweet, do very wrong to listen to all sorts of people, and that it is no wonder so many are eaten by the wolf.

I say the wolf, for not all wolves are of the same kind. Some have a charming manner, quiet, free of spite or anger, who, tame, obliging, and gentle, follow young ladies right into their houses, right into their bedchambers;

But alas! Who does not know that these sweet-talking wolves are the most dangerous wolves of all?