Little Red Riding-Hood
A young girl, known for her red riding hood, is sent by her mother to visit her ill grandmother, bringing custards and butter. On her way through the woods, she encounters a wolf who, eager to eat her, cunningly learns her destination. The wolf races ahead, reaches the grandmother's house first, and devours her. He then disguises himself in the grandmother's bed, waiting for the girl’s arrival. When Little Red Riding-hood knocks and enters, she is initially suspicious but is deceived by the wolf's imitation of her grandmother's voice. As she approaches the bed, she notices the wolf's unusual appearance and asks a series of questions about his features. Each response from the wolf is a deceptive reassurance until he reveals his true intent. Ultimately, the wolf pounces and consumes Little Red Riding-hood as well. The tale serves as a cautionary story about the dangers of naivety and the importance of being wary of strangers.
By Charles Perrault · First published 1697 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 944 words
First lines
Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature that ever was seen. Her mother was very fond of her, and her grandmother loved her still more. This good woman made for her a little red riding-hood, which became the girl so well that everybody called her Little Red Riding-hood.
One day her mother, having made some custards, said to her: --
What this Textopian page supports
Little Red Riding-Hood is listed on Textopian as a short story by Charles Perrault, dated 1697 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Charles Perrault
- Date: 1697 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Horror, Suspense
- Length: 944 words
- Structure: 1 section, 36 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Little Red Riding-Hood by Charles Perrault
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Little Red Riding-Hood?
- How does this short story by Charles Perrault fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story is a classic fairy tale with the typical elements of danger, adventure and moral lessons.
- Children's Literature — It was originally intended for children, featuring simple language, and moral and cautionary lessons typical of children's literature.
- Fantasy — It includes fantasy elements such as anthropomorphic animals (the talking wolf).
- Horror — It contains elements of horror, such as the threat and fear induced by the wolf, a child protagonist in danger and the violent ending.
Tags
fairy tale · folklore · children's literature · wolf · forest · cautionary tale · adventure · innocence · deception · family · danger · heroine