LITTLE RED RIDING MINNIE           

Once upon a time, there was a kindhearted girl who was loved by all who knew her. Her grandmother had made her a cape of red wool as a gift. The girl wore it so often that her family and friends began to call her Little Red Riding Minnie.

One day, Little Red Riding Minnie learned that her grandmother was sick with a bad cold. So she decide to bake a batch of famous oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies. After the cookies had cooled, Little Red Riding Minnie put them in a tin. She packed a bunch of super-strong menthol cough drops in another tin, knowing that her grandmother could probably use some of those, too.

Then Little Red Riding Minnie put both tins into her basket and set out for her grandmother’s house.

The route to her grandmother’s house took Little Red Riding Minnie through the center of town-right down Main Street, which was a very busy shopping area. Little Red Riding Minnie loved saying hello to the shopkeepers as she passed their stores. She was enjoying her walk very much. Then, just as she passed the post office, who should jump out of an alley and block her path but Big Bad Pete!

“Hello, Red,” he said with a smirk. “And where might you be headed with that big basket?” Now Big Bad Pete was knows to everyone around town as a scoundrel. He was certainly the last person Little Red Riding Minnie would have wanted to meet on the way to her grandmother’s house.

But Little Red Riding Minnie tried to be polite to everyone-even Big Bad Pete. ”Well if you must know,” Little Red Riding Minnie replied, hugging her basket tightly, “I’m bringing some of my famous oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies to my grandmother, who has a bad cold. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” And with that, Little Red Ridding Minnie hurried away.

As Big Bad Pete watched her go, his mouth began to water. Little Red Riding Minnie’s oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies were famous-famously delicious! Big Bad Pete had to get his hands on those cookies-even if it meant tricking Little Red Riding Minnie! So while Little Red Riding Minnie sauntered along Main Street, stopping to window-shop here and there, Big Bad Pete ducked down an alley, raced along the back streets, and zipped through some side yards.

He arrived at Little Red Riding Minnie’s grandmother’s house way ahead of Little Red Riding Minnie. He knew he had to come up with a plan. As he hurried up the front walk, Big Bad Pete spotted the grandmother’s wash hanging out to dry on the clothesline in the side yard. “Hmmm…” he said as he came up with a crafty plan. Minutes later, Little Red Riding Minnie skipped up the front walk toward her grandmother’s front door.

Before she could knock, Big Bad Pete jumped out form behind a bush disguised in her grandmother’s clothing.

“Oh, hello, Little Red Riding Minnie,” squeaked Big Bad Pete, trying to sound like her grandmother. “Have you come to pay me a visit?”

“Why… uh… yes,” Little Red Riding Minnie stammered. Grandmother’s cold must be very bad indeed, she thought. She looks awful. But hen, Little Red Riding Minnie began to notice some peculiar things about the way her grandmother looked. “Oh, grandmother,” she said, “what big ears you have!” “All the better to hear you with , my dear,” Big Bad Pete replied in his fake, grandmotherly voice.

“And what big eyes you have!” Little Red Riding Minnie exclaimed. Big Bad Pete crept closer to her. “All the better to see you with, my dear” he squeaked. “And what big teeth you have!” Little Red Riding Minnie continued. Big Bad Pete moved even closer. Now he was right over her. “All the better to eat your famous oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies with, my dear!” he shouted. With that, Big Bad Pete snatched a tin out of Little Red Riding Minnie’s basket, threw off his disguise, and began to laugh wickedly.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! I tricked you! Now your cookies are all mine!” As Little Red Riding Minnie looked on, Big Bad Pete tore the cover off the tin, threw his head back, and emptied its entire contents into his mouth. Too bad for Big Bad Pete it was the wrong tin.

It took only a few seconds before the superstrong menthol cough drops began to work their magic. Big Bad Pete’s face turned bright pink, and his eyes got large. He ran down the front walk, desperate to find a drink of water. (Little Red Riding Minnie stood by with a smile). Just then, Little Red Riding Minnie’s grandmother opened the door. “Oh, hello, dear,” she said as she dabbed at her nose with a handkerchief, “Is everything all right?”

“Oh, yes, Grandmother,” Little Red Riding Minnie replied. “Everything is just fine.” So Little Red Riding Minnie had a pleasant visit with her grandmother, who greatly enjoyed the oatmeal- chocolate -chip cookies.                                            

She left the recipe with her grandmother and walked home, stopping by to say hello some friends along the way.

Meanwhile, Big Bad Pete decided that Little Red Riding Minnie’s cookies were not all they were cracked up to be. He vowed to never scare anyone because of their famously delicious cookies ever again.

That’ll teach him, huh? The End 🙂 Good Night, Sweet Dreams……