Read "Maymie's Story of Red Riding Hood" by James Whitcomb Riley online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
W'y, one time wuz a little-weenty dirl, / An' she wuz named Red Riding Hood, 'cause her -- / Her _Ma_ she maked a little red cloak fer her / 'At turnt up over her head -- An' it 'uz all / Ist one piece o' red cardinal 'at 's like / The drate-long stockin's the store-keepers has. -- / O! it 'uz purtiest cloak in all the world / An' _all_ this town er anywheres they is!
An' so, one day, her Ma she put it on / Red Riding Hood, she did -- one day, she did -- / An' it 'uz _Sund'y_ -- 'cause the little cloak / It 'uz too nice to wear ist _ever'_ day / An' _all_ the time! -- An' so her Ma, she put / It on Red Riding Hood -- an' telled her not / To dit no dirt on it ner dit it mussed / Ner nothin'! An' -- an' -- nen her Ma she dot / Her little basket out, 'at Old Kriss bringed / Her wunst -- one time, he did. And nen she fill' / It full o' whole lots an' 'bundance o' good things t' eat / (Allus my Dran'ma _she_ says ''bundance,' too.) / An' so her Ma fill' little Red Riding Hood's / Nice basket all ist full o' dood things t' eat, / An' tell her take 'em to her old Dran'ma -- / An' not to _spill_ 'em, neever -- 'cause ef she / 'Ud stump her toe an' spill 'em, her Dran'ma / She'll haf to _punish_ her!
An' nen -- An' so / Little Red Riding Hood she p'omised she / 'Ud be all careful nen an' cross' her heart / 'At she wont run an' spill 'em all fer six -- / Five -- ten -- two-hundred-bushel-dollars-gold!
An' nen she kiss her Ma doo'-bye an' went / A-skippin' off -- away fur off frough the / Big woods, where her Dran'ma she live at. -- No! -- / She didn't do _a-skippin'_, like I said: -- / She ist went _walkin'_ -- careful-like an' slow -- / Ist like a little lady -- walkin' 'long / As all polite an' nice -- an' slow -- an' straight -- / An' turn her toes -- ist like she's marchin' in / The Sund'y-School k-session!
An' -- an' -- so / She 'uz a-doin' along -- an' doin' along -- / On frough the drate big woods -- 'cause her Dran'ma / She live 'way, 'way fur off frough the big woods / From _her_ Ma's house. So when Red Riding Hood / She dit to do there, allus have most fun -- / When she do frough the drate big woods, you know. -- / 'Cause she ain't feared a bit o' anything!
An' so she sees the little hoppty-birds / 'At's in the trees, an' flyin' all around, / An' singin' dlad as ef their parunts said / They'll take 'em to the magic-lantern show!
An' she 'ud pull the purty flowers an' things / A-growin' round the stumps -- An' she 'ud ketch / The purty butterflies, an' drasshoppers, / An' stick pins frough 'em -- No! -- I ist _said_ that! -- / 'Cause she's too dood an' kind an' 'bedient / To _hurt_ things thataway. -- She'd _ketch_ 'em, though, / An' ist _play_ wiv 'em ist a little while, / An' nen she'd let 'em fly away, she would, / An' ist skip on adin to her Dran'ma's.
An' so, while she uz doin' 'long an' 'long, / First thing you know they 'uz a drate big old / Mean wicked Wolf jumped out 'at wanted t' eat / Her up, but _dassent_ to -- 'cause wite clos't there / They wuz a Man a-choppin' wood, an' you / Could _hear_ him. -- So the old Wolf he 'uz _'feared_ / Only to ist be _kind_ to her. -- So he / Ist 'tended like he wuz dood friends to her / An' says "Dood-morning, little Red Riding Hood! " -- / All ist as kind!
An' nen Riding Hood / She say "Dood-morning," too -- all kind an' nice -- / Ist like her Ma she learn' -- No! -- mustn't say / "Learn," cause "_Learn_" it's unproper. -- So she say / It like her _Ma_ she "_teached_" her. -- An' -- so she / Ist says "Dood-morning" to the Wolf -- 'cause she / Don't know ut-tall 'at he's a _wicked_ Wolf / An' want to eat her up!
Nen old Wolf smile / An' say, so kind: "Where air you doin' at?"
Nen little Red Riding Hood she says: "I'm doin' / To my Dran'ma's, 'cause my Ma say I might."
Nen, when she tell him that, the old Wolf he / Ist turn an' light out frough the big thick woods, / Where she can't see him any more. An so / She think he's went to _his_ house -- but he haint, -- / He's went to her Dran'ma's, to be there first -- / An' _ketch_ her, ef she don't watch mighty sharp / What she's about!
An' nen when the old Wolf / Dit to her Dran'ma's house, he's purty smart, -- / An' so he 'tend-like _he's_ Red Riding Hood, / An' knock at th' door. An' Riding Hood's Dran'ma / She's sick in bed an' can't come to the door / An' open it. So th' old Wolf knock _two_ times.
An' nen Red Riding Hood's Dran'ma she says / "Who's there? " she says. An' old Wolf 'tends-like he's / Little Red Riding Hood, you know, an' make' / His voice soun' ist like hers, an' says: "It's me, / Dran'ma -- an' I'm Red Riding Hood an' I'm / Ist come to see you."
Nen her old Dran'ma / She think it _is_ little Red Riding Hood, / An' so she say: "Well, come in nen an' make / You'se'f at home," she says, "cause I'm down sick / In bed, and got the 'ralgia, so's I can't / Dit up an' let ye in."
An' so th' old Wolf / Ist march' in nen an' shet the door adin, / An' _drowl_, he did, an' _splunge_ up on the bed / An' et up old Miz Riding Hood 'fore she / Could put her specs on an' see who it wuz. -- / An' so she never knowed _who_ et her up!
An' nen the wicked Wolf he ist put on / Her nightcap, an' all covered up in bed -- / Like he wuz _her_, you know.
Nen, purty soon / Here come along little Red Riding Hood, / An' _she_ knock' at the door. An' old Wolf 'tend / Like _he's_ her Dran'ma; an' he say, "Who's there?"
Ist like her Dran'ma say, you know. An' so / Little Red Riding Hood she say "It's _me_, / Dran'ma -- an' I'm Red Riding Hood and I'm / Ist come to _see_ you."
An' nen old Wolf nen / He cough an' say: "Well, come in nen an' make / You'se'f at home," he says, "cause I'm down sick / In bed, an' got the 'ralgia, so's I can't / Dit up an' let ye in."