The short story Little Red Riding Hood meets a creative twist in this enchanting fairy tale mashup. A carpenter named Dergen and his fox companion Reddy discover Little Red in distress when a hungry wolf threatens her grandmother. Through forgiveness and second chances, these unlikely characters form a loving family that transforms their forest community, showing how differences become strengths and strangers become family.

Once upon a time, in a cozy little village nestled at the edge of a vast forest, there lived a kind-hearted, talented boy named Dergen. He was a carpenter’s apprentice skilled in crafting beautiful furniture, but lately, he felt a bit weary and uninspired.

In the same village lived a young girl known to everyone as Little Red for the vibrant cloak she always wore. She was learning the art of herbal medicine from her grandmother, who lived on the other side of the forest. Dergen had often seen Little Red in the village marketplace, her basket filled with herbs and remedies, but they had never spoken.

One morning, seeking fresh air and a break from his routine, Dergen decided to walk in the forest. As he strolled along the winding path, he noticed small footprints in the soft earth – likely belonging to Little Red who frequently traveled through the woods to visit her grandmother.

As Dergen continued his walk, a sudden rustling in the bushes caught his attention. Bursting through the foliage, a magnificent fox with fur as vibrant as a flaming campfire sprinted towards him, its eyes wide with fear. Close behind, a group of determined hunters pursued the frightened creature.

Dergen hid the fox in a hollow tree, saving him from danger. The fox, named Reddy, was deeply grateful and vowed to repay Dergen’s kindness.

Over the next few days, Reddy observed Dergen.

One evening, he said, “Follow me. I will help you find a new purpose in life.”

Dergen, yearning for change, nodded and followed the fox deeper into the forest. 

Reddy moved with purpose, occasionally glancing back to ensure Dergen kept pace. They traveled through dense undergrowth and across bubbling streams, with Reddy occasionally stopping to sniff the air. 

“I’ve been watching the cottage of an old healer,” Reddy explained as they walked. “She lives alone except for visits from her granddaughter in the red cloak. I sense something amiss.”

That very same day, Little Red, her cloak billowing behind her, set off for the sunny side of the valley to gather herbs for one of her grandmother’s remedies. As she rounded a bend, a large, gray wolf emerged, his eyes narrowed and his stomach rumbling. 

The wolf had been drawn to this area of the forest by the aroma of food from the cottage’s chimney. Winter had been harsh, and he’d grown thin and desperate. Once the proud leader of a pack, he now wandered alone, having been driven away by younger, stronger wolves. His loneliness weighed as heavily as his hunger.

Though startled, Little Red remembered her grandmother’s lessons about staying calm. “Good morning, sir,” she said politely. I’m gathering herbs for my grandmother. She’s not feeling well.”

The wolf’s ears perked up. Something in the girl’s kind greeting stirred a distant memory of human compassion—a forester who had once spared his life. For a moment, he hesitated, but then his stomach growled painfully.

“Is that so? And where might your grandmother live?” he asked, his voice smoother than his conscience.

Little Red hesitated, but the wolf’s friendly demeanor disarmed her.  “Just beyond the clearing, in the little cottage with the blue door,” she explained.

The wolf smiled.  “Well then, why don’t you take this shortcut? It will get you there much faster.” He pointed to a narrow, overgrown trail.  Little Red thanked him, eager to get home quickly, and skipped off down the path.

The wolf, full of a mischievous plan, felt a flicker of shame, but hunger silenced it quickly as he raced ahead to the cottage.

When the grandmother saw him, terror filled her eyes. “Please,” she whispered, “I have little to offer, but take what food I have.” Her kindness caught him off guard, and for a moment, he felt ashamed. But he had come too far to turn back now. He growled softly, sending her scurrying to hide in the root cellar.

Donning her nightgown and cap, he settled into her bed, but his victory felt hollow. As he waited for Little Red, doubts gnawed at him sharper than hunger.

Moments later, Little Red arrived, her basket overflowing with herbs. The front door was slightly ajar, and she stepped inside.

That’s when Dergen caught sight of a small clearing in the distance. Suddenly, Reddy froze. His ears perked up. “Listen,'” he whispered. “Someone is in trouble.’

They ran toward the call, and there in the clearing was a cottage, its paint peeling and overgrown garden. A young girl with a bright red cloak cried, “It’s my Grandmother! Something strange has happened!”

Dergen and Reddy burst into the cottage. To their surprise, they found the wolf lounging in bed, dressed in grandmother’s nightgown and cap. Just then, as they tried to make sense of this peculiar scene, Grandmother emerged from the root cellar where she had been hiding. 

The wolf, realizing his plan had failed, hung his head in shame.

The fox, Reddy, quickly took charge of the situation.  “Why are you scaring this little girl?” he demanded, his eyes locked on the wolf.

The wolf, in desperation, revealed his situation.

“I am alone and hungry,” he confessed, his voice breaking. “My pack drove me away. I’ve been wandering for months with no one to hunt with, no one to keep warm with during cold nights.”

Grandmother, approaching cautiously, saw not a monster but a creature in pain.

“When was the last time you ate properly?” she asked, her healer’s instinct overcoming her fear. 

The wolf looked away. “I can’t remember,” he admitted. 

Little Red, witnessing this exchange, also slowly approached the wolf. “Why didn’t you just ask for help?” 

The wolf’s laugh was bitter. “Humans see wolves, they grab their weapons. No one stops to ask if a wolf needs help.”

Reddy, ever the keen observer, sensed the wolf’s sincerity. 

“Perhaps,” he said thoughtfully, “instead of scaring folks, you could lend a paw around the homestead?”

Grandmother, though initially hesitant, saw hope in the wolf’s face.  “Indeed,” she added, “we could use extra help around here.

Over the next several days, the wolf—who they began to call Grey—remained at the cottage. 

A week turned into a month. Grey’s ribs no longer showed beneath his fur. The mistrustful glances became fewer. When he helped Dergen drag heavy logs for repairs, the young man clapped him on the shoulder afterward. 

“You’re not half bad,” Dergen said with a smile, “for a big bad wolf.” 

Grey’s answering grin revealed teeth that no longer seemed quite so frightening.

As spring turned to summer, the cottage underwent a remarkable transformation. Dergen applied his carpentry skills to repair the sagging porch and leaky roof. He crafted new shelves for Grandmother’s dried herbs and built a sturdy table where they could all gather for meals. 

“The eastern wall still needs reinforcement before autumn winds arrive,” Dergen noted one evening as they sat together after dinner.

Grey, who had been listening intently, spoke up. “I noticed a fallen oak in the north clearing. The wood is still good—we could use it.”

“I’ll show you where to find the best clay to seal the gaps between the logs,” Reddy offered, his bright eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. “And I know where the best blackberries grow. We could trade them in the village for nails.”

Little Red smiled as she watched them plan. What had begun as an unlikely alliance was becoming something more—a harmony of different skills and perspectives.

And if sometimes, on moon-bright nights, the villagers heard a wolf’s howl joined by a fox’s bark, a young man’s laughter, an old woman’s song, and a girl’s clear voice—they smiled and whispered to their children that it was just the unlikely family in the woods, reminding the forest and all who dwelled within it that belonging comes in many forms, and family is what we make it.

A combined adaptation of Prince Csihan from The Folk-Tales of the Magyars by W. Henry Jones and Little Red Riding Hood in the book Grimms Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

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