Come close, little one. This is the part of the story you might already know a little bit of — because it is one of the most famous moments in all of storytelling. But listen carefully, because our version has a few surprises tucked inside it.
Red, her arms full of wildflowers and her basket swinging happily, finally found her way back to the path and skipped the rest of the way to Grandma's cottage. She pushed open the little gate, admired the glowing sunflowers, and knocked on the door.
"Come in, dear!" called a voice from the bedroom — a voice that was, if Red had been listening very closely, just a touch too deep, and just a touch too growly.
But Red was not listening very closely. She was thinking about surprising Grandma with her flowers, and so she pushed open the bedroom door and hurried inside.
There in the bed lay Grandma, tucked up to her chin in the quilt, wearing her nightgown and her frilly white cap, exactly as always.
Except.
Something was different today. Red set down her basket slowly, tilting her head.
"Grandma," she said, stepping closer, "what big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear you with, my dear!" said the Wolf, in his very best Grandma-voice — which, if we're honest, little one, was still not a very good Grandma-voice at all.
Red took one more small step. "Grandma... what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see you with, my dear!" said the Wolf, and his golden eyes glinted in a way that eyes really oughtn't to glint.
Now Red — clever girl, remember — was starting to feel a small, curious tickle in her tummy, the kind of feeling you get when something is not quite right, even if you can't say exactly what. She took one more step, right up beside the bed, and looked very, very closely.
"Grandma," she said slowly, "what big — what very big — teeth you have!"
And here, my darling, the Wolf simply could not help himself. All that pretending, all that careful growly-voice practice — it all came tumbling down at once, and he threw back the quilt, sat up tall in the bed (still wearing the frilly nightcap, which had gone slightly crooked), and declared in his own big wolfish voice:
"ALL THE BETTER TO — ahem — well, to SURPRISE you with, of course!"
Red jumped back with a little gasp, her flowers scattering across the floor. But — and this is important, little one, so listen close — she was startled, not truly frightened. Because Red, you'll remember, was a clever girl, and she had a strong suspicion that grandmothers do not usually keep quite so many teeth tucked behind their smile.
"You're not my Grandma at all!" she said, hands on her hips, standing her ground even with her heart thumping. "You're the wolf from the forest! What have you done with her?!"
The Wolf, rather pleased with the dramatic reveal — he did so love an audience — grinned his big toothy grin. "Oh, don't fret, little miss. Your grandmother is perfectly safe and sound, tucked away with a jar of blackberry jam. I only wanted to see the look on your face! Splendid, by the way — quite the scream you nearly gave."
"That's not funny," said Red firmly, though she was already backing toward the door, eyes darting to find her Grandma. "Let her out this instant!"
"Now, now," said the Wolf, swinging his furry legs out of bed, nightgown swishing rather comically around his ankles. "Where's the fun in that? I rather think a little game of chase is in order first. What do you say, little Red? Shall I count to ten?"
And with that, the Wolf let out a great, booming, wolfish laugh — and lunged, not to hurt her, mind you, but simply to give her the fright of a good game — and Red, quick as anything, spun on her heel and dashed straight back out the cottage door, red cloak flying behind her like a flag.
"HELP!" she shouted into the sunny lane, her voice carrying clear across the sunflowers. "SOMEBODY HELP! THE WOLF HAS GRANDMA!"
And wonder of wonders, little one — her shout was answered almost at once.
Because thundering up the lane that very moment, axe over one shoulder, came a broad-shouldered woodcutter — and hopping and flapping and scurrying alongside him came a whole parade of forest friends: the fat brown rabbit, three chattering squirrels, one very determined badger, and, flying fastest of them all, one small, brave bluebird.
Sweet dreams, little dreamer. Tomorrow night, the whole forest arrives at Grandma's door at once — and our sly Wolf is about to discover that tricking one clever girl is quite different from facing an entire cottage full of friends.