FullReads

Nen old Wolf smile
An’ say, so kind: “Where air you doin’ at?”
Nen little Red Riding Hood she says: “I’m doin’
To my Dran’ma’s, ’cause my Ma say I might.”
Nen, when she tell him that, the old Wolf he
Ist turn an’ light out frough the big thick woods,
Where she can’t see him any more. An so
She think he’s went to his house–but he haint,–
He’s went to her Dran’ma’s, to be there first–
An’ ketch her, ef she don’t watch mighty sharp
What she’s about!

An’ nen when the old Wolf
Dit to her Dran’ma’s house, he’s purty smart,–
An’ so he ‘tend-like he’s Red Riding Hood,
An’ knock at th’ door. An’ Riding Hood’s Dran’ma
She’s sick in bed an’ can’t come to the door
An’ open it. So th’ old Wolf knock two times.
An’ nen Red Riding Hood’s Dran’ma she says
“Who’s there?” she says. An’ old Wolf ‘tends-like he’s
Little Red Riding Hood, you know, an’ make’
His voice soun’ ist like hers, an’ says: “It’s me,
Dran’ma–an’ I’m Red Riding Hood an’ I’m
Ist come to see you.”

Nen her old Dran’ma
She think it is little Red Riding Hood,
An’ so she say: “Well, come in nen an’ make
You’se’f at home,” she says, “’cause I’m down sick
In bed, and got the ‘ralgia, so’s I can’t
Dit up an’ let ye in.”

An’ so th’ old Wolf
Ist march’ in nen an’ shet the door adin,
An’ drowl, he did, an’ splunge up on the bed
An’ et up old Miz Riding Hood ‘fore she
Could put her specs on an’ see who it wuz.–
An’ so she never knowed who et her up!

An’ nen the wicked Wolf he ist put on
Her nightcap, an’ all covered up in bed–
Like he wuz her, you know.

Nen, purty soon
Here come along little Red Riding Hood,
An’ she knock’ at the door. An’ old Wolf ‘tend
Like he’s her Dran’ma; an’ he say, “Who’s there?”
Ist like her Dran’ma say, you know. An’ so
Little Red Riding Hood she say “It’s me,
Dran’ma–an’ I’m Red Riding Hood and I’m
Ist come to see you.”

An’ nen old Wolf nen
He cough an’ say: “Well, come in nen an’ make
You’se’f at home,” he says, “’cause I’m down sick
In bed, an’ got the ‘ralgia, so’s I can’t
Dit up an’ let ye in.”

An’ so she think
It’s her Dran’ma a-talkin’.–So she ist
Open’ the door an’ come in, an’ set down
Her basket, an’ taked off her things, an’ bringed
A chair an’ clumbed up on the bed, wite by
The old big Wolf she thinks is her Dran’ma.–
Only she thinks the old Wolf’s dot whole lots
More bigger ears, an’ lots more whiskers, too,
Than her Dran’ma; an’ so Red Riding Hood
She’s kindo’ skeered a little. So she says
“Oh, Dran’ma, what big eyes you dot!” An’ nen
The old Wolf says: “They’re ist big thataway
‘Cause I’m so dlad to see you!”

Nen she says,–
“Oh, Dran’ma, what a drate big nose you dot!”
Nen th’ old Wolf says: “It’s ist big thataway
Ist ’cause I smell the dood things ‘at you bringed
Me in the basket!”

An’ nen Riding Hood
She say “Oh-me-oh-my! Dran’ma! what big
White long sharp teeth you dot!”

Nen old Wolf says:
“Yes–an’ they’re thataway,” he says–an’ drowled–
“They’re thataway,” he says, “to eat you wiv!”
An’ nen he ist jump‘ at her.–

But she scream‘–
An’ scream‘, she did–So’s ‘at the Man
‘At wuz a-choppin’ wood, you know,–he hear,
An’ come a-runnin’ in there wiv his ax;
An’, ‘fore the old Wolf know’ what he’s about,
He split his old brains out an’ killed him s’quick
It make’ his head swim!–An’ Red Riding Hood
She wuzn’t hurt at all!

An’ the big Man
He tooked her all safe home, he did, an’ tell
Her Ma she’s all right an’ ain’t hurt at all
An’ old Wolf’s dead an’ killed–an’ ever’thing!–
So her Ma wuz so tickled an’ so proud,
She divved him all the dood things t’ eat they wuz
‘At’s in the basket, an’ she tell him ‘at
She’s much oblige’, an’ say to “call adin.”
An’ story’s honest truth–an’ all so, too!