Trisha Speed Shaskan - Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!: The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf

by Trisha Speed Shaskan

illustrated by Gerald Guerlais

Special thanks to our adviser, Terry Flaherty, PhD, Professor of English,
Minnesota State University, Mankato, for his expertise.

Editor: Jill Kalz
Designer: Lori Bye
Art Director: Nathan Gassman
Production Specialist: Sarah Bennett
The illustrations in this book were created digitally.

Picture Window Books
1710 Roe Crest Drive
North Mankato, MN 56003
www.capstonepub.com

Copyright 2012 by Picture Window Books, a Capstone imprint.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without
written permission from the publisher. The publisher takes n
responsibility for the use of any of the materials or methods described
in this book, nor for the products thereof.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shaskan, Trisha Speed, 1973
Honestly, Red Riding Hood was rotten! : the story of Little Red Riding
Hood as told by the wolf / written by Trisha Speed Shaskan ; illustrated
by Gerald Guerlais.
p. cm. (The other side of the story)
Summary: The Big Bad Wolf, who claims to be a vegetarian, tells his
side of the story of Little Red Riding Hood and her granny.
ISBN 978-1-4048-6673-7 (library binding)
ISBN 978-1-4048-7046-8 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4048-8034-4 (saddle stitch)
ISBN 978-1-4795-8070-5 (eBook)
[1. Fairy tales. 2. Humorous stories.] I. Guerlais, Gerald, ill. II. Title.
PZ8.S3408Ho 2012
[E]dc22
2011006995

Chomp! Chomp! Oh, Im sorry. I was just finishing
my lunch. My names WolfBig Bad Wolf. You may
have heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
About a girl and her granny? Seems everyone has.
My tail is different. Did I say tail ? I meant tale .

Once upon a time, I ran out of food. Completely.
The cupboards were bare. The freezer too. And
Id eaten every last vegetable and fruit in
the garden. Every one.

Other wolves mightve lunched on little forest
critters: chipmunks, bunnies, squirrels. But Im
a vegetarian. Thats right; I dont eat meat.
Well, I try not to. I LOVE apples. Honeycrisp,
Pink Lady, Golden Delicious ... Any kind,
really. But, sadly, it was a long time
until apple harvest.

I hadnt eaten in weeks. My stomach
growled and howled. It moaned and groaned.
It even roared. Then, my nose took over.

Sniff. Sniff. I took a whiff. What was it?

A girl.

Sniff. Sniff. I took a whiff. What was it?

Cake. Butter. In this forest? I had to investigate.

And there she was: Little Red Riding Hood. She
looked as plump and juicy as a big, sweet APPLE.

Little Red waved her cape. Isnt it pretty? she said.

Yeah, I said.

Arent I pretty? she said.

Was she admiring herself in that puddle?

With this cape, she said, Im even prettier
than usual.

Boy, someone sure was full of herself.
My stomach growled.

Little Red twirled a strand of hair. Mother says
the cape looks grand with my skin. My skin shines
like pearls.

Or the meat of a ripe apple, I thought, licking
my chops.

Remember, I hadnt eaten in weeks.

Time to chomp!

But then Little Red said, I cant wait until Granny
sees how pretty I am today. Im bringing her cake and
butter from my mother.

My stomach howled. TWO meals, I thought: Granny for
breakfast, Little Red for lunch (and cake and butter
for dessert).

Where does Granny live? I asked.

Little Red pointed. Down there, in the clearing.
The brown house.

I knew that house. And I had a plan.

Lets play a game, I said.

Little Red smiled. Im awesome
at games.

I bet you are, I said. You take this
path. Ill take that path. And lets
see who arrives at Grannys first.

I will, she said. Im the prettiest
and the fastest.

I bet you are, I said.

My stomach moaned. Before it groaned, I ran.
No one knows the forest like I do. I chose the
shorter path.

Sniff. Sniff. I took a whiff. What was it?

Apple air freshener?

Tap, tap. I knocked on the door.

Whos there? called out a voice.

Your granddaughter, I squeaked. Ive
brought you cake and butter from Mother.

Doors open, Granny said.

Granny tugged at her nightcap. Green,
she said. Isnt it pretty?

Pretty like a Granny Smith apple, I thought.

Arent I pretty? Granny said.

You mustve heard the saying the apple
doesnt fall far from the tree? Well, its true.

My stomach roared.

Whats that noise? Granny asked.

Chomp! Chomp!

I had to eat her. She was no