13 W aT greaT T eeT you ave
‘
kay, so we’ll just maybe try and get her to turn back, or not listen to the wolf?’ Tilly
said, as they followed the girl into the woods. ‘Great,’ Oskar said, stumbling over tree roots as he tried to read the story all the way through. ‘Okay, so it just says, “as she was going through the wood” she met the wolf. Can you see anything?’ ‘No, still just her,’ Tilly said, peering into the trees. ‘Okay, and then the wolf is too scared to eat her because there are woodcutters nearby, so he runs ahead, eats the grandmother, then waits for Red Riding Hood. Then eats her.’ ‘I guess these are the darker fairy tales that Clara - 143 -
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Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales
was talking about,’ Tilly said. ‘I can see why they changed it in other versions.’ ‘I guess we should warn her,’ Oskar said. ‘Should we catch up and talk to her, maybe?’ ‘This is your idea!’ Tilly said. ‘Your idea – your plan.’ ‘Fine, let’s catch up, then,’ Oskar said, but before they could reach her, a lanky wolf loped out of the trees on to the path, stopping the girl in her tracks. Oskar pulled Tilly off the path and behind a tree, but Little Red Riding Hood didn’t seem scared in
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What Great Teeth You Have
‘Whither are you going?’ he drawled. ‘I am going to see my grandmamma,’ Red Riding Hood replied politely. ‘To carry her a cake, and a little pot of butter, from my mamma.’ ‘Does she live far off?’ the wolf asked, licking his lips hungrily. ‘Oh! Aye,’ the little girl said. ‘It is beyond that mill you see there, at the first house in the village.’ ‘Well, I shall go and see her too. I’ll go this way, and you go that, and we shall see who will be there soonest.’ And at that the wolf ran back into the trees and disappeared from sight within seconds. ‘Okay, I don’t want to seem rude, but is she completely daft?’ Oskar whispered to Tilly. ‘Does she not know he wants to eat her?’ ‘Apparently not,’ Tilly said. ‘But quick, we need to tell her so we can all get to her grandmother’s house before the wolf.’ They headed back on to the path and quickly caught up with Red Riding Hood, who was ambling along singing to herself, picking flowers and getting distracted by passing butterflies. - 145 -
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