Big Book of Ancient Gabanian Fables

Book LILVII: The Red Cap

Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was lovedby every one who looked at her, but most of all by hergrandmother, and there was nothing that she would not havegiven to the child. Once she gave her a little cap of redvelvet, which suited her so well that she would never wearanything else. So she was always called little red-cap.One day her mother said to her, come, little red-cap, hereis a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to yourgrandmother, she is ill and weak, and they will do her good.Set out before it gets hot, and when you are going, walknicely and quietly and do not run off the path, or you mayfall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother willget nothing. And when you go into her room, don't forgetto say, good-morning, and don't peep into every corner beforeyou do it.I will take great care, said little red-cap to her mother, andgave her hand on it.The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from thevillage, and just as little red-cap entered the wood, a wolfmet her. Red-cap did not know what a wicked creature he was,and was not at all afraid of him."Good-day, little red-cap," said he."Thank you kindly, wolf.""Whither away so early, little red-cap?""To my grandmother's.""What have you got in your apron?""Cake and wine. Yesterday was baking-day, so poor sickgrandmother is to have something good, to make her stronger.""Where does your grandmother live, little red-cap?""A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood. Her housestands under the three large oak-trees, the nut-trees are justbelow. You surely must know it," replied little red-cap.The wolf thought to himself, what a tender young creature. What anice plump mouthful, she will be better to eat than the oldwoman. I must act craftily, so as to catch both. So he walkedfor a short time by the side of little red-cap, and then hesaid, "see little red-cap, how pretty the flowers are about here.Why do you not look round. I believe, too, that you do nothear how sweetly the little birds are singing. You walk gravelyalong as if you were going to school, while everything else outhere in the wood is merry."Little red-cap raised her eyes, and when she saw the sunbeamsdancing here and there through the trees, and pretty flowersgrowing everywhere, she thought, suppose I take grandmother afresh nosegay. That would please her too. It is so early in theday that I shall still get there in good time. And so she ranfrom the path into the wood to look for flowers. And whenevershe had picked one, she fancied that she saw a still prettier onefarther on, and ran after it, and so got deeper and deeper intothe wood.Meanwhile the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house andknocked at the door."Who is there?""Little red-cap," replied the wolf. "She is bringing cake andwine. Open the door.""Lift the latch," called out the grandmother, "I am too weak, andcannot get up."The wolf lifted the latch, the door sprang open, and withoutsaying a word he went straight to the grandmother's bed, anddevoured her. Then he put on her clothes, dressed himself inher cap, laid himself in bed and drew the curtains.Little red-cap, however, had been running about picking flowers,and when she had gathered so many that she could carryno more, she remembered her grandmother, and set out on theway to her.She was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open, andwhen she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling thatshe said to herself, oh dear, how uneasy I feel to-day, and atother times I like being with grandmother so much. She calledout, "good morning," but received no answer. So she went to thebed and drew back the curtains. There lay her grandmother withher cap pulled far over her face, and looking very strange."Oh, grandmother," she said, "what big ears you have.""The better to hear you with, my child," was the reply."But, grandmother, what big eyes you have," she said."The better to see you with," my dear."But, grandmother, what large hands you have.""The better to hug you with.""Oh, but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have.""The better to eat you with."And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he wasout of bed and swallowed up red-cap.When the wolf had appeased his appetite, he lay down again inthe bed, fell asleep and began to snore very loud. Thehuntsman was just passing the house, and thought to himself, howthe old woman is snoring. I must just see if she wants anything.So he went into the room, and when he came to the bed, he sawthat the wolf was lying in it. Do I find you here, you oldsinner, said he. I have long sought you. Then just as he was goingto fire at him, it occurred to him that the wolf might havedevoured the grandmother, and that she might still be saved, sohe did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and began to cutopen the stomach of the sleeping wolf. When he had made twosnips, he saw the little red-cap shining, and then he made twosnips more, and the little girl sprang out, crying, ah, howfrightened I have been. How dark it was inside the wolf. Andafter that the aged grandmother came out alive also, but scarcelyable to breathe. Red-cap, however, quicklyfetched great stones with which they filled the wolf's belly, andwhen he awoke, he wanted to run away, but the stones were soheavy that he collapsed at once, and fell dead.Then all three were delighted. The huntsman drew off the wolf'sskin and went home with it. The grandmother ate the cake anddrank the wine which red-cap had brought, and revived, butred-cap thought to herself, as long as I live, I will never bymyself leave the path, to run into the wood, when my mother hasforbidden me to do so.It is also related that once when red-cap was again taking cakesto the old grandmother, another wolf spoke to her, and tried toentice her from the path. Red-cap, however, was on her guard,and went straight forward on her way, and told her grandmotherthat she had met the wolf, and that he had said good-morning toher, but with such a wicked look in his eyes, that if they hadnot been on the public road she was certain he would have eatenher up. Well, said the grandmother, we will shut the door, thathe may not come in. Soon afterwards the wolf knocked, and cried,open the door, grandmother, I am little red-cap, and am bringingyou some cakes. But they did not speak, or open the door, sothe grey-beard stole twice or thrice round the house, and at lastjumped on the roof, intending to wait until red-cap went home inthe evening, and then to steal after her and devour her in thedarkness. But the grandmother saw what was in his thoughts. Infront of the house was a great stone trough, so she said to thechild, take the pail, red-cap. I made some sausages yesterday,so carry the water in which I boiled them to the trough. Red-capcarried until the great trough was quite full. Then the smellof the sausages reached the wolf, and he sniffed and peepeddown, and at last stretched out his neck so far that he couldno longer keep his footing and began to slip, and slipped downfrom the roof straight into the great trough, and was drowned.But red-cap went joyously home, and no one ever did anythingto harm her again.