Little Red Riding Hood

“Little Red Riding Hood” is a classic tale about a young girl who sets off to visit her grandmother, only to encounter a clever wolf with plans of his own! Along the way, she must use her wits to outsmart the wolf and save the day.

In this article, you’ll find two versions of the story: the original tale and a simplified graded reader, perfect for younger English learners. Both versions will help your child expand their vocabulary and practice reading comprehension, with questions at the end to make learning even more engaging.

Looking for more ways to make language learning fun? Explore the Studycat Learn English app for interactive stories, games, and lessons that turn learning into an adventure.

Let’s leap into the forest with Little Red Riding Hood and see how she handles the big, bad wolf!

The story of “Little Red Riding Hood” (for kids)

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved wearing a bright red hooded cape that her grandmother had made for her. Because of this, everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her mother asked her to take some goodies—like bread, cookies, and a jar of honey—to her grandmother, who lived deep in the forest.

Before Little Red Riding Hood left, her mother said, “Remember, don’t talk to strangers, and stay on the path!” Little Red Riding Hood nodded, but as we’ll see, following instructions wasn’t exactly her strong suit.

Off she went, skipping down the forest path, carrying her basket of goodies. The woods were filled with the sounds of birds chirping, leaves rustling, and somewhere nearby, paws tiptoeing through the trees…

The big bad wolf appears

As Little Red Riding Hood walked through the forest, a wolf suddenly appeared from behind a tree. Now, this wasn’t your ordinary wolf—he was a cunning, clever wolf who could talk!

“Where are you going, little girl?” the wolf asked with a sly grin.

“I’m going to my grandmother’s house to bring her some goodies,” Little Red Riding Hood said, completely forgetting her mother’s warning about talking to strangers.

The wolf’s eyes lit up with a wicked idea. “Oh, I see! How lovely,” he said. “And where does your grandmother live?”

Little Red Riding Hood, being young and trusting, told the wolf exactly where her grandmother’s cottage was. The wolf smiled and thought, What a delicious surprise this is going to be!

“I bet your grandmother would love some flowers!” the wolf suggested. “Why don’t you pick some while you’re on your way?”

Little Red Riding Hood thought this was a wonderful idea, so she wandered off the path to pick flowers, while the wolf ran straight to Grandma’s house.

The wolf’s trick

When the wolf reached Grandma’s cottage, he knocked on the door. “Who’s there?” Grandma called from inside.

“It’s me, Little Red Riding Hood,” the wolf said in a high, sweet voice.

“Come in, dear!” Grandma said. But when she opened the door, she was shocked to see the wolf instead of her granddaughter. Before she could say a word, the wolf gobbled her up whole! (Don’t worry—this is a fairy tale, so Grandma was magically fine later.)

The wolf quickly put on one of Grandma’s nightgowns and her big sleeping cap, then hopped into bed, pulling the blankets up to his chin. He waited there, disguised as Grandma, for Little Red Riding Hood to arrive.

”What big eyes you have!”

After a while, Little Red Riding Hood finally reached her grandmother’s cottage with a basket full of goodies and a handful of flowers. She knocked on the door, and a deep voice from inside called, “Come in, dear.”

When Little Red Riding Hood entered the cottage, she noticed something was…off. Her grandmother looked a little different today.

“Grandmother,” Little Red Riding Hood said, stepping closer to the bed, “what big eyes you have!”

“All the better to see you with, my dear,” the wolf said in his best grandma voice.

“And Grandmother,” Little Red Riding Hood continued, “what big ears you have!”

“All the better to hear you with, my dear,” the wolf replied, pulling the blanket up higher.

“And Grandmother,” she said slowly, “what big teeth you have!”

The wolf grinned a sharp, toothy grin and said, “All the better to EAT you with!”

With that, the wolf jumped out of bed and lunged at Little Red Riding Hood. She screamed and tried to run, but the wolf was quick.

The heroic woodcutter

Just as it seemed like Little Red Riding Hood was in serious trouble, a nearby woodcutter heard her scream. He ran into the cottage, carrying his big axe, and saw the wolf about to pounce.

With a loud shout, the woodcutter scared the wolf away, sending him running deep into the forest, never to be seen again. The woodcutter quickly checked the wolf’s belly and found Grandma alive and well (because, you know, fairy tale magic). Grandma popped out, none the worse for wear, and hugged Little Red Riding Hood tight.

From that day on, Little Red Riding Hood promised never to talk to strangers and to always stay on the path. She also became a lot more careful about what her “grandmother” looked like!

The moral of “Little Red Riding Hood”

Always listen to your parents and be careful around strangers.

Little Red Riding Hood got into trouble because she didn’t follow her mother’s advice and trusted a sneaky wolf. The story teaches us to be cautious and listen to the people who care about us.

Questions about “Little Red Riding Hood”

1. What did Little Red Riding Hood’s mother tell her to do before she left for the forest?
2. Who did Little Red Riding Hood meet on her way to her grandmother’s house?
3. How did the wolf trick Little Red Riding Hood?
4. What did Little Red Riding Hood notice was different about her “grandmother”?
5. Who saved Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother from the wolf?

Answers

1. Her mother told her to stay on the path and not talk to strangers.
2. She met a wolf in the forest.
3. The wolf went to Grandma’s cottage, ate her, and then dressed up as Grandma to trick Little Red Riding Hood.
4. She noticed her “grandmother” had big eyes, ears, and teeth—which were actually the wolf’s!
5. The brave woodcutter saved them by scaring the wolf away.

Words to learn

• Red hooded cape: A bright red cloak with a hood that Little Red Riding Hood always wore.
• Wolf: A wild animal that hunts in packs. In this story, the wolf is tricky and dangerous.
• Cottage: A small house, usually in the woods or countryside, like Grandma’s cozy home.
• Eyes: The part of the body we use to see, like the wolf’s big, scary eyes in disguise.
• Ears: The part of the body we use to hear. The wolf had big ears when he pretended to be Grandma.
• Teeth: The part of the body we use to chew. The wolf’s sharp teeth were meant to scare Little Red Riding Hood.
• Woodcutter: A man whose job is to chop wood. The woodcutter was the hero who saved the day.

”Little Red Riding Hood” for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1)

Once, there was a girl named Little Red Riding Hood. She wore a red hooded cape.

One day, her mother said, “Take these goodies to Grandma’s house, but stay on the path and don’t talk to strangers!”

Little Red Riding Hood went into the forest, but she met a big bad wolf. The wolf tricked her and went to Grandma’s house. He ate Grandma and waited for Little Red Riding Hood!

When Little Red Riding Hood arrived, she saw the wolf dressed as Grandma.

“What big eyes you have!” she said. “What big ears you have! What big teeth you have!” Then, the wolf tried to eat her!

But a woodcutter heard her scream and chased the wolf away.

Grandma was safe, and Little Red Riding Hood learned to always listen to her mother.

Fun fact about “Little Red Riding Hood”!

Did you know? In older versions of Little Red Riding Hood, the story didn’t have a happy ending! The wolf gobbled up both Little Red and her grandmother without a woodcutter to save them. Yikes! But don’t worry, most modern versions have a happy ending with everyone safe.