tone of great interest. "Down beyond the mill,
on the other side of the wood," said she. "Well," cried the wolf, "I
don't mind if I go and see her too. So I'll take this road, and do you
go through the wood, and we'll see which of us shall be there first."

Now, the wily wolf knew well enough that he would be the winner in such
a race. For, letting alone his four feet against poor Little Red Riding
Hood's two, he could dash through the underwood, and swim across a pond,
that would bring him by a very short cut to the old grandam's cottage,
while he shrewdly guessed that the little girl would stop to gather
strawberries, or to make up a posy, as she loitered along the pleasanter
but more roundabout path through the wood. And sure enough the wolf, who
cared neither for strawberries nor for flowers, made such good speed
that he had presently reached the grandmother's cottage. Thump, thump,
went the wolf against the door. "Who is there?" cried the grandam from
within. "Only your grandchild, Little Red Riding Hood," cried the wolf,
imitating the little girl's shrill infantine voice as best he might. "I
have come to bring you a cake and a pot of butter that mother sends
you." The grandmother, being ill, was in bed, so she called out: "Lift
the latch, and the bolt will fall." The wolf did so, and in he went,
and, without saying a word more, he fell upon the poor old creature, and
ate her up in no time, for he had not tasted food for the last three
days. He next shut the door, and, putting on the grandam's nightcap and
nightgown, he got into bed, drew the curtain, and buried his head in the
pillow, and kept laughing in his sleeve at the trick he meant to put
upon poor Little Red Riding Hood, and wondering how long she would be
before she came.

Meanwhile Little Red Riding Hood rambled through the wood with
child-like glee, stopping every now and then to listen to the birds that
were singing so sweetly on the green boughs, and picking strawberries,
which she knew her grandam loved to eat with cream, till she had nearly
filled her basket; nor had she neglected to gather all the pretty
flowers, red, blue, white, or yellow, that hid their sweet little heads
amidst the moss; and of these her apron was at last so full, that she
sat down under a tree to sort them and wind them into a wreath.

[Illustration]

While she was thus occupied, a wasp came buzzing along, and, delighted
at finding so many flowers without the trouble of sear