1 New job
Adam was proud and excited. It was his first day at his new summer job. He’d been told to chop down trees for firewood, on the far side of the forest by the loch.
As he walked up the path towards the tree line, he made sure that his axe was securely strapped to his back, his mobile phone was tucked in his pocket and that he had the lunchbox his dad had packed for him.
2
The forest was dark, oddly cold and silent. It felt different from previous visits when it had been full of sunshine and birdsong.
Adam had grown up hearing fairy tales about the odd things that happened in magical forests. He shivered.
Of course, he knew that fairy tales weren’t real, but he was worried about encountering a creature the stories often featured – a hungry wolf.
3
Uncle Hamish had planted that worry in his head. He’d told them that a wolf had been spotted near the forest. According to him, the two forest rangers who’d seen it had been scared out of their wits.
Adam’s dad had chuckled and told Hamish that wolves were extinct in Scotland, but he’d refused to listen.
“Mind how ye go, Adam,” he’d warned.
4
Suddenly anxious, Adam tried to text his mum, but weirdly, his phone wouldn’t work. The entrance to the forest was close by so Adam retraced his footsteps. As he stepped out into the sunshine, his phone whooshed as his message went, then instantly pinged with Mum’s reply.
Hey Mum, tell me about that wolf Uncle H mentioned?
Och, don’t mind him. Those rangers probably just saw a big dog or a shadow and panicked.
5
The message made Adam feel better.
You’re a woodcutter. You even have an axe! he told himself.
You’re not scared of any wolf. Particularly one that doesn’t exist!
He looked down at himself and winced. He wasn’t all that big, and he wasn’t strong at all. But he was smart, and good at climbing trees – he’d be all right … probably …
Raising his chin, he marched into the forest again.
6
2 Meeting Red
Just in case, though, Adam unstrapped his axe and looked for any signs of a wolf as he went. The trees swished in the breeze but otherwise the odd silence blanketed the forest. Which was why, when a cheery voice suddenly wished him, “Good morning!” Adam nearly dropped his axe on his foot.
7
Whirling around, he saw a girl. She had a covered basket on her arm and was wearing a hooded red cape, and matching ribbons in her hair. There was a book at home, with a girl exactly like that on the cover.
“You look just like … Little Red Riding Hood!” Adam blurted. The girl laughed and spun around. “Ooh, what a great nickname!” she said. “I’m glad I put this on today instead of my dirty grey pinny!”
8
Closing his eyes, Adam told himself, You’re imagining things, but when he opened them again, she was still there.
“You can call me Red,” she said. Reaching into her basket, she offered him a jam tart.
“Don’t tell me,” said Adam, “you’re taking those goodies to your grandma.”
Red nodded. “Yes. She’s poorly. Do you know her? She lives in a cottage in this forest.”
9
