The Red Riding Hood

The Invitation

On her eighteenth birthday, Adelaide woke to find a new riding-hood folded neatly on the edge of her bed. Overjoyed, she quickly grabbed it and pulled it close to her. It was made of red velvet with soft, white rabbit fur trim.

She jumped out of bed and put it around her shoulders, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. Never again would she have to wear an itchy gray wool riding-hood.

"It looks lovely on you," her step-mother Dilys stood in the door way admiring Adelaide.

"Thank you." She threw her arms around her step-mother.

Her step-mother had always been kind to her.

Adelaide's father and Dilys were drawn together in sorrow. A sickness swept through the village when Adelaide was five, taking her mother, along with Dilys's husband.

Every little girl grew up in the village idolizing their older sisters, cousins, and friends who reached their eighteenth birthday and were found worthy to receive the coveted red-riding hood.

To become a Red Riding Hood meant you were chosen to attend the Prince's Harvest Ball. It was a great honor to attend. At the ball, the young ladies would be matched with respectable suitors who would carry them away to happily ever after. Only five were selected each year.

Adelaide received her invitation two days before the ball. The other girls who were selected received them a month ago. She thought a fifth girl had been selected, but maybe she was wrong.

"We will spare no expense to get you ready." Dilys beamed.

"How will I have time to say good-bye to everyone?" Adelaide's excitement tempered.

Typically, the village had a celebration when each girl received her riding-hood to give her a chance to say her farewells. But there was no time for that for Adelaide. She would have to leave by first light in order to arrive at the Prince's ball on time.

"You will just have to come back with your suitor." Dilys beamed

"I suppose so."

A heaviness formed in Adelaide's chest. In her memory, no girl had ever returned with her suitor nor had anyone ever received a note from either after the family received a purse of gold as a wedding gift. Perhaps the other girls did not love their families as much as Adelaide loved hers. Especially, her little sister Frances.

In all honestly, the seed of Adelaide's excitement was planted in the idea of marrying someone rich and handsome, it was that her family would never want again.

"Come Adelaide. I will have Frances fix your bath."

"That would be lovely." Adelaide managed to smile. Her qualms seemed to subside with the promise of a warm fragrant bath, a small luxury they could only afford on special occasions.