d woman, in a feeble voice.

"Little Red Riding Hood," said the wolf, imitating a little girl's
voice. "Mother has sent you a cake and a pot of butter.

"Lift up the latch and walk in," said the grandmother; "I'm ill in bed,
and can't come to the door."

So the wolf lifted the latch and sprang in, and gobbled up the poor old
grandmother in a moment. Then he put on her nightgown and nightcap, got
into bed, and pulled up the bedclothes. Presently Red Riding Hood came
and knocked at the door.

"Who's there?" asked the wolf, imitating the grandmother's voice.

"Little Red Riding Hood. Mother has sent you a cake and a pot of
butter."

"Lift up the latch and walk in," said the wolf, and Red Riding Hood
entered.

The wolf had got down so far under the bedclothes that nothing of him
could be seen but the top of his nightcap.

"How hoarse you are, Granny!" said Red Riding Hood.

"That's because I've got such a bad cold, my dear," said the wolf. "It's
getting late, so you must undress and come to bed."

When Red Riding Hood got into bed, she saw the wolf's ears sticking out
from under the nightcap. "What great ears you've got, Granny!" she said.

"All the better to hear with, my dear!" said the wolf.

"And what great arms you've got, Granny!"

"All the better to hug with, my dear!"

"But, Granny, what great eyes you've got!"

"All the better to see with, my dear!"

"But, Granny, what great teeth you've got!" said Red Riding Hood, who
began to feel frightened.

"All the better to eat you, my dear!" shouted the wolf. And the wicked
beast jumped up, and ate her all up at a mouthful.

As it got dusk, Red Riding Hood's mother began to get very anxious
because she had not come back, for as she had never thought Red Riding
Hood would stop and pick flowers in the forest, she had expected her
home by sunset, and had said nothing about her stopping at her
grandmother's for the night. So when her husband came home, she said:

"I'm afraid something has happened to Red Riding Hood. I sent her to her
grandmother's this morning, and she has never come back. You must go and
look for her; and take your lantern and your axe, for fear of wolves."
So Red Riding Hood's father took his lantern and axe, and asked a friend
to go with him across the forest.

When they got to the grandmother's cottage, it was quite dark. They
knocked, and the wolf called out:

"Lift up the latch and walk in," for he thought he would make another