Page:History of the yellow dwarf.pdf/15

 THE HISTORY

LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD.

N a village called Roseville, in the South of France, dwelt an infirm aged woman, who had nothing to subsist on but the savings of former industry; her chief comfort was a grand-daughter, who resided with her parents, about three miles distant in a fertile valley. Her namoname [sic] was Celia, but she was better known by that of Little Red Riding-Hood, from her grandmother having madomade [sic] her one of cherry-coloured silk, which very much became her prottypretty [sic] face and dolicatodelicate [sic] form. ColiaCelia [sic] kept constant to her school, but overyevery [sic] holiday she, in general, went to visit thothe [sic] old lady, and take her somosome [sic] little present, which was a pleasing grateful act of duty. The weather proved cold and rainy, so that Red Riding-Hood had not seen her grandmother for more than a fortnight, which was a great grief to the littlolittle [sic] girl; more so, as shoshe [sic] knew the former was ill. At length to her joy came a fine morning, and her kind parents gavogave [sic] her a holiday that shoshe [sic] might visit the old lady, and take a pot of butter, somosome [sic] home-baked cakes, and a bottle of currant wine to comfort her.

When Red Riding-Hood was leaving the cottage, her mother told her not to loiter on the road, to talk with no strangers, and to bobe [sic] home before dusk; all which commands she promised to obey, but was not so dutiful in performing. MoroMore [sic] than an hour was spent before she even left the village, in talking to the little girls who werowere [sic] playing about, letting them know that shoshe [sic] was going to takotake [sic] her grandmother a pot of butter, some cakes, and a bottlobottle [sic] of winowine [sic]. This was very wrong, as it did not in thothe [sic] least concern them, and was likewise disobeying thothe [sic] commands of her indulgent parent.

As shoshe [sic] pursued her way by thothe [sic] wood side, Red Riding-Hood was startled on beholding a wolf, (a beast of prey with which thothe [sic] South of France is infested,) who camocame [sic] from amongst thothe [sic] trees; she was on the point of flying to somosome [sic] reapers who werowere [sic] in the next field, to seek protection, when the wolf speaking civilly to her,