red riding hood

Red Riding Hood

katypila

Kat Chesney

01/10/2011

Once upon a time, in a village close to a forest, there lived a young woman. This woman was a true fire-haired beauty who loved naught but her grandmother. All men who met this woman loved her with an unrequited burning passion much the same vibrancy of her red hair. She was called Red Riding Hood; she was indeed untouchable to most. Red Riding Hood’s grandmother was a wire haired woman who lived by herself in an old house in the forest. Red Riding Hood would bring sweets from the town and fallen wood from the forest to place in the fire. The two women had a strong bond.

One day Red Riding Hood did as she had done many times in the past – she walked from the village to her grandmother’s house carrying sweets in an embroidered basket. This day was crisp with the air hanging low and cold on the thin layer of snow on the forest floor. Red Riding Hood found some fallen wood for her grandmother’s fire and began to drag it with one hand towards her grandmother’s house.

It was at this moment that a creature, just in the shadows, began to talk to her. The creature said, with confidence “I like the colour of your hair. Can I take a closer look?”  Red Riding Hood was surprised by his forward remark and allowed him to come closer. The creature said “That’s a nice basket. Can I have a closer look?” Red Riding Hood held out the basket towards the creature who noticed the sweets in the basket. The creature said “Those sweets look delicious. Can I taste one?” He held out his hand expectantly. Red Riding Hood replied “No. they’re actually for my grandmother who is expecting me very soon.” The creature said “very well, young beauty, good day to you.”

The creature made his way swiftly to a house he knew of in the forest. He knew of an old woman who once lived there. Her husband once chopped a creature made of shadows in half. When he arrived he tapped on the door.

The old woman noticed the creature was not her granddaughter and refused him entry. The creature was angered by this. He went to the back window, smashed it and climbed in. The old woman had no time to scream, before she was set upon by the angry creature. He held the old woman on the floor and smothered her face with her own frilly hat. When the woman lay still he dressed in her clothes then kicked her limp body under the bed.

Red Riding Hood arrived at her grandmother’s house, the same house the creature had visited only moments ago. She tapped on the door and a voice from inside said “I am unwell, please come in.” Red Riding Hood entered the house and placed the basket on the table and the firewood at the front door.  The old woman did indeed look unwell. She looked as if her face did not fit her body and the bed sheets were bulging in strange places. “Oh Grandmother your eyes are engorged, your nose is swollen. Oh my grandmother you are so unwell!”

“This is all part of illness and ageing” said the creature dressed as the old woman beckoning for Red Riding Hood to come closer. As the young woman took a step closer she noticed how much the smile on the face in front of her was horrid and sharp, just like the creature in the forest.

There was movement from beneath the bed. Red Riding Hood saw a woman’s hand twitch. “O Grandmother!” She said loudly “your teeth are so big”

“They’re all - Part Of – EATING – YOU - WITH!” The creature began to yell, kicking off the bed sheets. As the creature sprung from the bed the woman’s hand from beneath the bed caught his leg and pulled him to the floor.

Red Riding Hood’s grandmother stood triumphantly over the creature. She demanded her clothes back from him. Once she was dressed she told the creature to kneel on the floor in the middle of the room. She picked up and axe, which belonged to her deceased husband, and whispered in the creature’s ear “Never do I wish to see you, smell you or hear you around these parts again. You tell this to those who are like you and never return” she raised the axe and yelled “EVER” to the creature and brought the blunt end down hard on his head. The creature collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Red Riding Hood Cried as she ran toward her grandmother ad they both embraced. “Quick” said the grandmother. “Fetch me those shears”. Red Riding Hood followed her grandmother’s direction and clipped the creature’s hair to resemble a prissy poodle.

The both dragged the creature out of the house, down the path and into the woods. The grandmother and Red Riding Hood dragged the creature along many paths and left him at a fork in the road. Before they left him they tied a sign onto his back” the pair walked away, hand in hand back to the grandmother’s house.

When the poodle shaped creature awoke he read the sign “I AM RUBBISH” it read. No matter how hard he pulled at the ropes he couldn’t get the sign off.