ching for them, he
began to drink up their honey very voraciously. Little Red Riding Hood
knew well the difference of a wasp and a bee--how lazy the one, and how
industrious the other--yet, as they are all God's creatures, she
wouldn't kill it, and only said: "Take as much honey as you like, poor
wasp, only do not sting me." The wasp buzzed louder, as if to thank her
for her kindness, and, when he had sipped his fill, flew away.
Presently, a little tom-tit, who had been hopping about on a bough
opposite, darted down on the basket, and pecked at one of the
strawberries. "Eat as much as you like, pretty tom-tit," said Little Red
Riding Hood: "there will still be plenty left for grandam and for me."
The tom-tit replied, "Tweat--tweat," in his own eloquent language; and,
after gobbling up at least three strawberries, flew away, and was soon
out of sight. Little Red Riding Hood now bethought her it was time to go
on; so, putting her wreath into her basket, she tripped along demurely
enough till she came to a brook, where she saw an aged crone, almost
bent double, seeking for something along the bank. "What are you looking
for, goody?" said the little girl. "For water-cresses, my pretty maid,"
mumbled the poor old woman; "and a sorry trade it is, that does not
earn me half enough bread to eat." Little Red Riding Hood thought it
very hard the poor old creature should work and be hungry too, so she
drew from her pocket a large piece of bread, which her mother had given
her to eat by the way, and said: "Sit down, goody, and eat this, and I
will gather your water-cresses for you." The old woman willingly
accepted the offer, and sat down on a knoll, while Little Red Riding
Hood set to work in good earnest, and had presently filled her basket
with water-cresses. When her task was finished, the old crone rose up
briskly, and, patting the little maid's head, said, in quite a different
voice "Thank you, my pretty Little Red Riding Hood and now, if you
happen to meet the green huntsman as you go along, pray give him my
respects, and tell him there is game in the wind." Little Red Riding
Hood promised to do so, and walked on; but presently she looked back to
see how the old woman was getting along, but, look as sharp as she
might, she could see no trace of her, nor of her water-cresses. She
seemed to have vanished clean out of sight. "It is very odd," thought
Little Red Riding Hood to herself, "for surely I can walk faster than
she." The