Once upon a time there lived, in a village, a country girl, who was the sweetest little creature that ever was seen. Her mother naturally loved her with excessive fondness, and her grandmother doted on her still more. The good woman had made for her a pretty little red colored hood, which so much became the little girl, that every one called her Little Red Riding Hood. One day her mother having made some cheesecakes, said to her, "Go, my child, and see how your grandmother does, for I hear she is ill. Carry her some of these cakes, and a little pot of butter." Little Red Riding Hood set out with a basket filled with the cakes and the pot of butter, for her grandmother&`&s house, which was in a village a little way off the town that she and her mother lived in. As she was crossing a wood, which lay in her road, she met a large wolf, which had a great mind to eat her up, but dared not, for fear of some wood-cutters, who were at work nearby. Yet he spoke to her, and asked her where she was going. The little girl, who did not know the danger of talking to a wolf, replied: "I am going to see my grandmamma, and carry these cakes and a pot of butter." "Does she live far off?" said the wolf. "Oh yes!" answered Little Red Riding Hood, "beyond the mill you see yonder, at the first house in the village." "Well," said the wolf, "I will take this way, and you take that, and see which will be there the soonest." The wolf set out full speed, running as fast as he could, and taking the nearest way, while the little girl took the longest; and as she went along began to gather nuts, run after butterflies, and make nose-gays of such flowers as she found within her reach.