wood, looking for flowers. And as
she picked one she saw a still prettier one a little farther off, and so
she went farther and farther into the wood. But the wolf went straight
to the grandmother's house and knocked at the door.

"Who is there?" cried the grandmother.

"Little Redcap," he answered, "and I have brought you some cake and some
new milk. Please open the door."

"Lift the latch," cried the poor old grandmother, feebly; "I am too weak
to get up."

So the wolf lifted the latch, and the door flew open, and he fell on the
grandmother and ate her up without saying one word. Then he drew on her
clothes, put on her cap, lay down in her bed and drew the curtains, the
old wretch that he was.

Little Redcap was all this time running about among the flowers, and
when she had gathered as many as she could hold; she remembered her
grandmother, and set off to go to her. She was surprised to find the
door standing wide open, and when she came inside she felt very strange
and thought to herself:

"Oh, dear, how uncomfortable I feel, and I was so glad this morning to
go to my grandmother!"

And when she said "Good morning!" there was no answer. Then she went up
to the bed and drew back the curtains; there lay the grandmother with
her cap pulled over her eyes, so that she looked very odd.

"Oh, grandmother, what large ears you have got!"

"The better to hear you with."

"Oh, grandmother, what great eyes you have got!"

"The better to see you with."

"Oh, grandmother, what large hands you have got!"

"The better to take hold of you with, my dear."

"But, grandmother, what a terrible large mouth you have got!"

"The better to devour you!" And no sooner had the wolf said this than he
made one bound from the bed and swallowed up poor Little Redcap.

Then the wolf, having satisfied his hunger, lay down again in the bed,
went to sleep and began to snore loudly. The huntsman heard him as he
was passing by the house and thought:

"How the old lady snores--I would better see if there is anything the
matter with her."

Then he went into the room and walked up to the bed, and saw the wolf
lying there.

"At last I find you, you old sinner!" said he; "I have been looking for
you for a long time." And he made up his mind that the wolf had
swallowed the grandmother whole, and that she might yet be saved. So he
did not fire, but took a pair of shears and began to slit up the wolf's
body. When he made a few snips Li