Little Red Riding Hood and the Prince

Chapter 3- A Chance Encounter

It was a beautiful day as Darin made his way through the dappled forest. The air was cool and fragrant under the large trees. As he and Fallfa made their way along a narrow path they passed a number of small creatures.

'What a perfect way to spend a day.' Darin thought as he took in the sights and sounds. After a while he began to practice some of the birdcalls he heard around him

Perhaps half an hour later, just as his stomach was beginning to grumble, Darin came alongside a creek with a number of blackberry brambles growing just along the other side. It was too tempting a sight to pass up, so he dismounted and tied Fallfa's reins loosely to a branch right next to the water where she could drink. Then he took off his boots and socks, rolled up his pants' legs, and waded into the cold, but shallow creek.

It was a little early in the season, but Darin still managed to find a number of small, if not completely ripe berries. Alright, honestly they were pretty tart, but they managed to take the edge off of his hunger which was the important point. Anyways, back to the story.

Darin had just decided to leave the creek because his feet had gone numb, when he heard singing. It was coming from somewhere nearby, beyond the brambles.

Here was another opportunity for adventure that he couldn't pass up, so he headed downstream a little ways until there was a break in the brambles where he could climb up the bank, and began to follow the music.

It wasn't long before Darin was wishing that he had gone back for his shoes as he trampled through the thick foliage. Luckily, he didn't have to go too far before it began to thin out and he could see a clearing ahead.

The singing had gotten louder, and he could now make out the words.

"It's a beautiful day, a lovely day, to take a walk through the woods

The flowers are blooming, the scent perfuming, is just the thing I need

To make grandmother happy, smiling and laughing, oh so joyfully

Yes, it's a beautiful day, to take a walk in the woods..."

Hiding behind a tree on the edge of the clearing, Darin watched the entrancing and strange sight before him. There was a girl, in this meadow clearing, wearing a faded red hood with a rather short cape over a long, drab brown summer frock. She was dancing around barefoot and singing without a care in the world as she picked flowers and placed them into an oblong basket on her arm.

'If joy had a picture,' Darin thought, 'this must surely be it.' With a strange, goofy grin on his face, he let out a happy sigh.

The singing stopped abruptly, and the girl looked around as Darin ducked back behind the tree.

"Who's there? Come out!" The little girl in red spoke sternly.

Darin suddenly felt shy and ashamed to be caught spying. He voice failed him and he stood where he was, frozen.

"Hello?" With a final unsuccessful look around, the little girl decided that it might be better to leave, so she started off once more for her grandmother's house deeper in the woods.

Darin stayed where he was, unmoving for many long minutes. Then, for some reason he could never quite explain, he began to follow her.