Thursday, May 8, 2014

Little Red Riding Hood








The Mini-Girls asked StoryFairy to tell them a story.  

And so she did!






Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl, who everyone called Little Red Riding Hood, because she wore a red hooded cape whenever she went out of doors.  And her favorite thing to do was go outside and see the flowers.






One day her mother said to her, "Little Red, your grandmother is sick in bed with a cold.  Please take this basket of food to her.   You will be all right, if you keep on the path.  Can you do that?"  Of course, Little Red said she could because she was not only sweet, but a very brave little girl.




So Little Red started down the path in the woods.  But wait a minute!  Little Red looked all around.  This is not the woods.  This is the desert garden because she lives in northern Arizona and of course there are no woods!  So Red walked through the desert garden.




And then Red Riding Hood stopped.  There were four puppies standing in the path looking at her.  They were hungrily looking at her basket.


The puppies barked at Red.  She could understand puppy talk.   "Woof!" (Stop!) "Woof! Woof!"  (We are puppies!)  "Woof! Woof! Woof!"  (Please give us treats!) 



"No, no, no!" cried Red.  "These treats are for my sick grandmother."
"Woof, woof, woof!"  Which means: Please, please, please! We want some treats!  We will get the treats!"
Red was a little bit scared, because the puppies were jumping up and down and would not let her pass.
Just then someone far away was playing a violin.  The puppies listened and ran towards the sound.

*****

Red walked and walked. And then she saw a beautiful honeysuckle bush.  Red's one weakness was flowers.




"Oh!" said Red, "What lovely flowers! They smell so sweet!"  I will tell Grandmother all about them.

Meanwhile, the puppies never did find the music.  They decided they would go to Red's Grandmother's house because they might get some of the treats.




Grandmother was in her bed, enjoying a good book, when she heard a noise at the door.  "Who could that be," she wondered.




All at once, there were puppies everywhere!  "Woof, woof!" they barked.  There was so much noise that Grandmother was frightened.  She jumped out of bed and ran away and hid herself.



The puppy dogs grabbed Grandmother's cap and shawl and put them on and hid under her quilt.  "Woof! Woof!"  We will hide here under the quilt and wait for Red Riding Hood.  We will pretend to be Grandmother and then we will get the treats and eat them up!  Woof! Woof!"  

When Red Riding Hood finally got to Grandmother's house, she was very surprised to see the door wide open.  She slowly went in and saw a big mess.  And where was Grandmother?  And then she saw her in bed.




"Grandmother, what happened?  You don't look well at all!"  
"Woof!"  
"What is the matter with your voice?"
"Woof!  I have a cough.  Woof! Woof!  Please give me treats!"





"Grandmother, what a mouth you have!"
"The better to eat treats in!  Woof!  Woof!  Please, give me some treats!"



"Grandmother, your nose is so round and black and cold!"
"Woof!  The better to smell treats with.  Please, give me treats!  Please, please!"




"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"
"Of course my eyes are big!  I'm a chiwawa! Woof! Woof!  And I want a treat!"



And out jumped all the dogs.  "Woof! Woof!  We want treats! Woof!"
Little Red Riding Hood cried, "What have you done with Grandmother!  Help! Help!"



"I'll help you! I saw your door wide open and heard a pack of puppies barking.   I am the Fiddler on the Woof.   When I fiddle puppies follow."  So she began to fiddle.  And all the puppies, enchanted, turned to the Fiddler and listened to the beautiful music.



And then the puppies followed the Fiddler out of the house because music tames the savage beast.  It was that, or the bag of doggie biscuits tied on her belt. 



Grandmother came out of her hiding place and hugged Red. "I am so glad you are safe!"  



Soon Little Red Riding Hood had the room cleaned up and her Grandmother back in bed.  Red opened up her basket of goodies and they had a nice picnic of muffins and apples.  What is this in the bottom of the basket?  Six magic jelly beans?  Should they eat them or plant them.  What do you think they will do?





******


StoryFairy's Challenge:  Can you make up a short musical theme for the characters in the story?  For example how would the puppies sound in music?  High or low, staccato or legato, forte or piano?  Try making up a theme for:

  • Little Red Riding Hood walking
  • The puppies jumping
  • The Fiddler on the Woof
  • Grandmother
Have fun!




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