Little Red Riding Hood is a classic tale, retold here in calm, simple words for children to enjoy with a grown-up. A girl in a red cloak takes food to her grandma, talks to a wolf she should not have talked to, and a woodcutter helps keep everyone safe.
Before you start: Has a wolf and one shout for help — you can say ‘Help!’ in a normal voice. Nobody is hurt; the wolf runs away.
Listen together Read aloud by Amy · 3 min 9 s
Read the story: Little Red Riding Hood
Once there was a little girl. She had a red cloak with a hood. Everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.
One day, her mother packed a basket. Inside were bread, apples and a little cake. “Grandma is not feeling well,” said Mother. “Please take her this basket.”
“Stay on the path,” said Mother. “Do not stop. Do not talk to anyone you do not know.” “I will stay on the path,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
Little Red Riding Hood walked into the woods. The trees were tall. The birds were singing.
She saw some pretty flowers next to the path. “Grandma would like some flowers,” she thought. She stepped off the path to pick them.
A wolf came out from behind a tree. “Hello, little girl,” said the wolf in a smooth voice. “Where are you going?”
Little Red Riding Hood forgot what Mother had said. “I am going to Grandma’s house,” she said. “It is at the end of the path.”
“How nice,” said the wolf. Then he ran off quickly, the short way through the trees.
The wolf got to Grandma’s house first. Knock, knock. Grandma saw it was a wolf through the window. She felt frightened. She hid in the big wardrobe and kept very still.
The wolf went inside. He put on Grandma’s nightcap. He got into Grandma’s bed. He pulled the blanket up to his nose.
Soon Little Red Riding Hood came. Knock, knock. “Come in,” said the wolf in a squeaky voice.
Little Red Riding Hood looked at the bed. Something felt wrong. “Grandma, what big ears you have!” “All the better to hear you with,” said the wolf.
“Grandma, what big eyes you have!” “All the better to see you with,” said the wolf.
“Grandma, what big teeth you have!” Little Red Riding Hood felt scared. “You are not Grandma!” she said. And she ran to the door and shouted, “Help!”
A woodcutter was working nearby. He heard her and came running. “Go away, wolf!” he said in a loud, strong voice.
The wolf jumped out of the bed. He ran out of the door and far, far away into the woods. He never came back.
Grandma opened the wardrobe door. “Is it safe now?” she asked. “Yes, Grandma,” said Little Red Riding Hood. They gave each other a big hug.
“Thank you,” said Grandma to the woodcutter. They all sat down and shared the bread, the apples and the little cake.
“I am sorry,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “I left the path. I talked to someone I did not know.”
“You are safe now,” said Grandma. “And next time, you will remember.”
The woodcutter walked Little Red Riding Hood home. This time, she stayed on the path all the way. The end.
On this page
Picture cards to talk about
- Mother packs a basket
- Red Riding Hood walks in the woods
- The wolf says hello
- Grandma hides in the wardrobe
- The woodcutter tells the wolf to go away
- Everyone shares cake
Talk about Little Red Riding Hood together
- What did Mother tell Little Red Riding Hood to do?
- How did she know it was not Grandma?
- Who helped her?
- What can you do if you feel unsafe?
Feelings in this story
Frightened, Scared, Safe, Sorry.
What the story teaches: Listen to the safety rules from your grown-ups, and shout for help if something feels wrong.
This version is our own gentle retelling of a public-domain tale. You can read about the history of the original story on Wikipedia.
Find more calm stories on our Stories page, or play together in the Playground.