Why Little Red Riding Hood?

Little Red Riding Hood and other stories are a wonderful way for children to learn a language. Whether English it is their native language or the second (third...) language, listening and reading classic tales engages children, making the learning effortless.

The earliest known printed version was known as "Le Petit Chaperon Rouge" and had its origins in 17th century French folklore. It was included in the collection "Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals. Tales of Mother Goose" (Histoires et contes du temps passé, avec des moralités. Contes de ma mère l'Oye), in 1697, by Charles Perrault. As the title implied, that version was more sinister and more overtly moralized than the later versionss. The redness of the hood, which has been given symbolic significance in many interpretations of the tale, was a detail introduced by Perrault.

The story had as its subject an "attractive, well-bred young lady", a village girl of the country being deceived into giving a wolf she encountered the information he needed to find her grandmother's house successfully and eat the old woman while at the same time avoiding being noticed by woodcutters working in the nearby forest. Then he proceeded to lay a trap for the Red Riding Hood. The latter ends up eaten by the wolf and there the story ends - no happy ending in this version!

Many authors have rewritten or adapted this tale. The most well known adaptation is by the Brothers Grimm. They modified the ending so that the little girl and her grandmother are saved by a huntsman who was after the wolf's skin.

So read and enjoy with your children!

Visit my blog's main page Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories to learn English.
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Other interesting links:
Your kids can listen to audio books on an mp3 player with mp3 player speakers, or listen to stories anywhere in your house or outside with wireless outdoor speakers. Surprise your kids or other family members with cool electronic picture frame check out the digital picture frame site. Play with your kids geocaching, a super-cool modern version of treasure with a gps handheld device. GPS tracking device can also be use to keep your kids safe.