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W’y, one time wuz a little-weenty dirl,
An’ she wuz named Red Riding Hood, ’cause her–
Her Ma she maked a little red cloak fer her
‘At turnt up over her head–An’ it ‘uz all
Ist one piece o’ red cardinal ‘at ‘s like
The drate-long stockin’s the store-keepers has.–
O! it ‘uz purtiest cloak in all the world
An’ all this town er anywheres they is!
An’ so, one day, her Ma she put it on
Red Riding Hood, she did–one day, she did–
An’ it ‘uz Sund’y–’cause the little cloak
It ‘uz too nice to wear ist ever’ day
An’ all the time!–An’ so her Ma, she put
It on Red Riding Hood–an’ telled her not
To dit no dirt on it ner dit it mussed
Ner nothin’! An’–an’–nen her Ma she dot
Her little basket out, ‘at Old Kriss bringed
Her wunst–one time, he did. And nen she fill’
It full o’ whole lots an’ ‘bundance o’ good things t’ eat
(Allus my Dran’ma she says ”bundance,’ too.)
An’ so her Ma fill’ little Red Riding Hood’s
Nice basket all ist full o’ dood things t’ eat,
An’ tell her take ’em to her old Dran’ma–
An’ not to spill ’em, neever–’cause ef she
‘Ud stump her toe an’ spill ’em, her Dran’ma
She’ll haf to punish her!

An’ nen–An’ so
Little Red Riding Hood she p’omised she
‘Ud be all careful nen an’ cross’ her heart
‘At she wont run an’ spill ’em all fer six–
Five–ten–two-hundred-bushel-dollars-gold!
An’ nen she kiss her Ma doo’-bye an’ went
A-skippin’ off–away fur off frough the
Big woods, where her Dran’ma she live at.–No!–
She didn’t do a-skippin’, like I said:–
She ist went walkin’–careful-like an’ slow–
Ist like a little lady–walkin’ ‘long
As all polite an’ nice–an’ slow–an’ straight–
An’ turn her toes–ist like she’s marchin’ in
The Sund’y-School k-session!

An’–an’–so
She ‘uz a-doin’ along–an’ doin’ along–
On frough the drate big woods–’cause her Dran’ma
She live ‘way, ‘way fur off frough the big woods
From her Ma’s house. So when Red Riding Hood
She dit to do there, allus have most fun–
When she do frough the drate big woods, you know.–
‘Cause she ain’t feared a bit o’ anything!
An’ so she sees the little hoppty-birds
‘At’s in the trees, an’ flyin’ all around,
An’ singin’ dlad as ef their parunts said
They’ll take ’em to the magic-lantern show!
An’ she ‘ud pull the purty flowers an’ things
A-growin’ round the stumps–An’ she ‘ud ketch
The purty butterflies, an’ drasshoppers,
An’ stick pins frough ’em–No!–I ist said that!–
‘Cause she’s too dood an’ kind an’ ‘bedient
To hurt things thataway.–She’d ketch ’em, though,
An’ ist play wiv ’em ist a little while,
An’ nen she’d let ’em fly away, she would,
An’ ist skip on adin to her Dran’ma’s.

An’ so, while she uz doin’ ‘long an’ ‘long,
First thing you know they ‘uz a drate big old
Mean wicked Wolf jumped out ‘at wanted t’ eat
Her up, but dassent to–’cause wite clos’t there
They wuz a Man a-choppin’ wood, an’ you
Could hear him.–So the old Wolf he ‘uz ‘feared
Only to ist be kind to her.–So he
Ist ‘tended like he wuz dood friends to her
An’ says “Dood-morning, little Red Riding Hood!”–
All ist as kind!

An’ nen Riding Hood
She say “Dood-morning,” too–all kind an’ nice–
Ist like her Ma she learn’–No!–mustn’t say
“Learn,” cause “Learn” it’s unproper.–So she say
It like her Ma she “teached” her.–An’–so she
Ist says “Dood-morning” to the Wolf–’cause she
Don’t know ut-tall ‘at he’s a wicked Wolf
An’ want to eat her up!