A modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in a big city
Once upon a time, in a city full of tall buildings that seemed to touch the clouds, there lived a little girl named Ruby. She was known all around her neighborhood for always wearing a bright red hoodie, no matter if it was sunny or rainy. Ruby loved her hoodie because it made her feel brave and special.
Ruby’s grandma, who she called Nana, lived on the other side of the big city in a cool apartment building with a rooftop garden. Nana was the best at telling stories and always had yummy cookies waiting when Ruby visited.
One day, Ruby’s mom was making chicken noodle soup in the kitchen. The delicious smell filled their whole apartment.
“Ruby, sweetie,” her mom called. “Nana isn’t feeling well today. Could you take her some of this soup to help her feel better?”
Ruby nodded eagerly. She loved helping and was excited for an adventure across the city.
“Remember,” her mom said as she carefully packed the soup in a special thermos, “take the subway straight to Nana’s. Don’t talk to strangers, and be careful in the big city.”
Ruby promised to be careful. She put on her red hoodie, took the soup, and headed out. The city was busy and noisy, with cars honking and people rushing about their day. Ruby felt very grown-up as she walked to the subway station.
While waiting for the train, she noticed a man in a gray suit who smiled at her. He had the biggest, whitest teeth Ruby had ever seen.
“Hello there, little one,” the man said. “That’s a nice red hoodie you’re wearing.”
Ruby remembered her mom’s words about not talking to strangers, but the man seemed nice. “Thank you,” she said politely.
“Where are you off to on this fine day?” the man asked.
Without thinking, Ruby replied, “I’m going to visit my Nana. She lives in the Rainbow Towers on Blossom Street.”
The man’s eyes lit up. “What a coincidence! I’m heading that way too. Maybe I’ll see you there!”
Just then, the subway arrived. It was crowded, and Ruby lost sight of the man as she found a seat. She felt a little uneasy about telling him where she was going but soon forgot about it as she watched the city zip by through the windows.
When Ruby arrived at Nana’s building, she skipped to the elevator, excited to see her grandmother. But when she knocked on Nana’s door, something felt off.
“Come in, dearie,” called a voice that didn’t quite sound like Nana’s.
Ruby opened the door slowly. The apartment was darker than usual, and she could see a figure lying in Nana’s bed.
“Nana?” Ruby called softly.
“Come closer, my dear,” the voice said.
As Ruby approached the bed, she noticed something strange. “Nana, what big eyes you have!”
“All the better to see you with, my dear,” came the reply.
Ruby stepped closer, her heart beating fast. “And Nana, what big ears you have!”
“All the better to hear you with, my dear.”
Now Ruby was very close to the bed. She gulped and said, “But Nana, what big teeth you have!”
Suddenly, the figure sat up, and Ruby saw it wasn’t Nana at all! It was the man from the subway station!
“All the better to… uh… eat this soup with!” the man said, reaching for the thermos.
But Ruby was clever and brave. She remembered the special whistle her mom had given her for emergencies. She pulled it out of her pocket and blew as hard as she could.
TWEEEEEEET!
The sound was so loud it made the man cover his ears. Just then, the door burst open. It was Mr. Wolfe, the kind building security guard, and right behind him was… Nana!
“Ruby!” Nana cried, hugging her granddaughter tight. “Are you okay?”
Mr. Wolfe grabbed the man, who they learned was a silly burglar who thought he could trick people by pretending to be someone else.
“I’m fine, Nana,” Ruby said. “I knew something wasn’t right, so I used my emergency whistle.”
“That’s my smart girl,” Nana said proudly.
As Mr. Wolfe took the silly burglar away, Ruby, Nana, and Ruby’s mom (who had rushed over when she heard what happened) all sat down to enjoy the chicken noodle soup together.
“Ruby,” her mom said, “you were very brave today. But remember, it’s important not to talk to strangers or tell them where you’re going.”
Ruby nodded, understanding now why that rule was so important.
From that day on, Ruby was known in the neighborhood as the brave girl in the red hoodie. She learned valuable lessons about being careful in the big city, trusting her instincts, and the importance of always having a safety plan.
And every time she visited Nana after that, they would laugh about the day Ruby outsmarted the silly burglar, enjoying cookies and milk on Nana’s rooftop garden, high above the bustling city below.
The End.
