RED RIDDING WOOD
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © September 2010 by Ana Star
Cover by Ana Star
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, anyplace, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Written Expressions, LLC
www.e-written.com
P.O. Box 720412
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
RED RIDDING WOOD
Red walked merrily, swinging her basket from front to back. She removed the red hood that covered her long, radiant orange hair and as she looked up at the clear blue sky, the sun shone on her beautiful white, freckled face. She exclaimed, “What a beautiful day!” and continued to walk on the dirt road until she reached the crossroad at the edge of the forest.
Just as she was about to take the right lane, a grey wolf jumped in front of her. She stepped back, startled and unsure of what to do. It stared at her for a moment before it stood on his back paws and got up. He was a man with a wolf skin on his back and the head of the wolf on top of his head. He smiled and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have a piece of bread in your basket that you could spare, my beautiful Red?”
Shocked by his appearance, she gawked at the piece of animal skin covering his front genital area. His tanned torso and perfect pecks were dirty along with his face and hands. She also noticed that he was barefoot.
“Ahem!” he coughed.
She blushed instantly, began to fumble inside the basket and said, “I’m sorry. Of course I can spare a piece of bread for you, mister, hum?”
“I’m a Wolfman. Can’t you tell?”
She smiled and nodded before she handed him a small loaf of white bread. “Here you go, mister, Wolfman. I hope it is to your liking? I baked it early this morning.”
He took the bread, smelled it and said, “Mmm!” He glanced at her with his big blue eyes and added, “This is too much. I do not want to deprive you of your meal.”
She shook her head and said, “Oh no. I won’t be missing it because I’ve baked a few more for my grandmother. We will manage with what we got. I’m just happy I could help you.”
His eyes glowed at the mention of Red’s grandmother. As he parted the bread into pieces, he mentioned, “Do you mean the nice old lady that lives in the cabin near the woods?”
Her face lit up and her grey eyes sparkled as she said, “Why yes! Do you know her?”
“Of course, we are old friends. I visit her quite often. But tell me, you weren’t thinking of taking this road now were you?” he asked, pointing at the right side.
“Yes, it’s the road I always take.”
After chewing a piece of bread, he said, “My dear, Red. You don’t mind me calling you Red do you?” and before she could answer he continued, “why not take the short cut? This road takes forever to get there.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t. Mommy always said that the right road was shorter and safer.”
“Nonsense!” He wrapped his long arm around her shoulders and guided her to the left road. “This way is much faster and it is quite safe. I use it all the time.”
“Well,” she said, looking further on the clear road.
“How about we do a little wager? Try this road and I will try this one. I bet you, you will make it before me. If you do, I win. You’ll have to give me more of that delicious bread.”
“And if you get there before me?”
He sighed and said, “Then I will give you something, but I am sure you will be there before I so there’s no need to talk about it. So, will you accept the wager?”