Your Fractured Fairy Tale - Understanding Fairy Tales: Little Red Riding Hood

On this page you can find out more about the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

This fairy tale website, compiled by Pittsburgh University, includes Charles Perrault's version of Little Red Riding Hood.

You can also find a number of fairy tales which are similar to the Little Red Riding Hood story.

You can read Charles Perrault's version of Little Red Riding Hood on the SurLaLune website.

In this scene from the 2011 film, Valerie confides in her grandmother that the wolf spoke to her when it appeared in the village.

The SurLaLune website includes lots of information about Little Red Riding Hood, including details of the history of the story.

As explained in the 'Conventions of fairy tales' section, a fairy story always includes a number of important elements.

When reading through this section, keep in mind Charles Perrault's version of the story as told here -

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

In the story of Little Red Riding Hood the elements include: 

GOOD CHARACTERS

In the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the good character is obviously Little Red Riding Hood.

(Source of picture: Picture book)

THE BADDY

The bad character in this story is the wolf.

(Source of picture: Folks and fairies)

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Can you think of any supporting characters in this story?

MAGIC

How many talking wolves have you met??!  Can you think of any other magical elements in this story?

(Source of picture: dot.Momming)

OBSTACLE OR TASK

A fairy tale usually includes an obstacle or task which the characters must tackle with to reach their happy ending.  Can you think of the obstacle or task in this story?

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Do you think Perrault's version of this story has a happily ever ending?  In 1812 the Grimm brothers wrote a version of Little Red Riding Hood (Little Red Cap) with a different ending where the wood cutter returns and cuts Granny out of the wolves tummy.  Charles Perrault's version does not have this ending though, do you think his story ends 'happily ever after'?

(Source of picture: Scrap book blog)

MORAL

What do you think is the moral message of the Little Red Riding Hood story?  R