This is my version of how Little Red Riding Hood came to be, hope you all like it!
Lily walked through the wood near her grandmother's house. She had on a brilliant red cloak that was dyed especially for her by granny herself. Ever since the day Lily had gotten it (As a gift for her eleventh birthday, she was now twelve.) she had preferred to be called Red. She stalked through the forest as though she were a hunter, looking for her unsuspecting prey. She never actually caught anything, just children made fun of her for this, seeing as though she had no friends. Whenever there was a twitch in the woods, Red knew. She was naïve though, not being afraid and trusting people unsuspectingly. She would often walk into town by herself to marvel at the things that salesmen sold on the street. Medicines and herbs that would make you live forever, plants that would bring luck to your home. All so enchanting to Red, she never thought that it all might be lies.
Today, as she headed down the path back to her own home she, realized it was getting dark. The clouded trees provided their usual shade, but it took her a minute to realize what time it was. Then she remembered, tonight was the night that the days began getting shorter and nights got longer. She pulled her cloak around her tighter, attempting to block the chill. When finally she saw her house in the distance, she stumbled in the front door. Her numb hands grasped for firewood, she laid log after log on the fire. Her mother walked out in a sleepy haze. "What on Earth do you think you're doing? Wasting our firewood like that, you know we save it for the coldest months!" Red was taken aback. She ran to her room in shame. It was barely November, but Red was freezing.
Her mother was a cold, bitter woman who wanted nothing to do with Red. She disregarded her wishes and called her Lily, instead of Red. She also sent her out of the house for hours to chop firewood, her only protection from the cold being her cloak. her cruelty left Red with the impression that mothers were evil. She often wondered what a real mother would be like, one who loved her. Most days she went to granny's house. She loved her grandmother dearly. She was the only person in the town who thought anything above peasant work girl of her. Sadly, her gran was getting old and was in a condition where she was bedridden. She often had spells like this in the winter. She worked for her everyday and cleaned and cooked.
One day, her mother scolded her to get out of the house asked to go into town to buy some milk. Red ran as fast as she could to get to the square. "Hello, sir, may I please have a gallon of milk? I have money." Red squeaked. everyone in town knew that she probably couldn't pay most of the time, but this man looked new.
"Take it." The salesman shoved a jug of milk across the counter. "That'll be six dollar kid, where do you plan to get that money, eh?" He laughed, his accent caught her off guard, not sure where it was from she said,
"Are you new around here?"
"Don't let the accent get you off, born and raised a here. Where I'm from's a secret"
"Then how would you know if I wouldn't be able to pay or not?"
"Well you look like you walked here, and I had heard the rumors."
"Rumors?!"
"Yes, everyone knows where you come from and why you wear that silly red cloak."
"Well then, why?"
"Because you only make friends with old people and scavenge in the woods." He said this with some satisfaction, knowing that the look on her face meant it was true.
"Oh, well then," She scowled, annoyed and offended. She had never been insulted straightforwardly like that. Tears welled in her eyes, but she swallowed her them down and stood up tall. "get on with it. I really suggest you do before I leave without paying."
"Feisty, well, you hurry on your way. Don't want to be wastin' your ever so precious time."
"Then I'll be off, thank you very much." Red stormed off, snatching the milk from the counter and shoving the money in his hand. She was appalled that he would dare be that rude to her. All the way back through the woods, she pondered the strange man. She had no clue that they thought of her that way. To her delight, She would never see that man again.