tle scarlet cloak and hood, and the
child looked so pretty in it that everybody called her Little Red
Riding-Hood.

[Illustration: RED RIDING HOOD PREPARING FOR HER JOURNEY.]

One day her mother told her she meant to send her to her grandmother--a
very old woman who lived in the heart of the wood--to take her some
fresh butter and new-laid eggs and a nice cake. Little Red Riding-Hood
was very pleased to be sent on this errand, for she liked to do kind
things, and it was so very long since she had seen her grandmother
that she had almost forgotten what the dame looked like.

[Illustration: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD GATHERING FLOWERS.]

_THE WOLF._

The sun was shining brightly, but it was not too warm under the shade of
the old trees, and Red Riding-Hood sang with glee as she gathered a
great bunch of wild flowers to give to her grandmother. She sang so
sweetly that a cushat dove flew down from a tree and followed her. Now,
it happened that a wolf, a very cruel, greedy creature, heard her song
also, and longed to eat her for his breakfast, but he knew Hugh, the
woodman, was at work very near, with his great dog, and he feared they
might hear Red Riding-Hood cry out, if he frightened her, and then they
would kill him. So he came up to her very gently and said, "Good day,
Little Red Riding-Hood; where are you going?"

"To see my grandmother," said the child, "and take her a present from
mother of eggs and butter and cake."

"Where does your grandmamma live?" asked the wolf.

"Quite in the middle of the wood," she replied.

"Oh! I think I know the house. Good day, Red Riding-Hood." And the wolf
ran off as fast as he could

_AT PLAY IN THE WOOD._

Little Red Riding-Hood was not in a hurry, and there were many things to
amuse her in the wood. She ran after the white and yellow butterflies
that danced before her, and sometimes she caught one, but she always let
it go again, for she never liked to hurt any creature.

[Illustration: THE WOLF FOLLOWS LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.]

And then there were the merry, cunning little squirrels to watch,
cracking nuts on the branches of the old trees, and every now and then a
rabbit would hurry away through the tall ferns, or a great bee come
buzzing near her, and she would stop to watch it gathering honey from
the flowers, and wild thyme. So she went on very slowly. By-and-by she
saw Hugh, the woodman. "Where are you going, Little Red Riding-Hood,"
said he, "all alone?"