Who is Little Red Riding Hood? The answer is obvious, perhaps. She's the girl who goes through the woods to grandmother's house but meets a wolf enroute and she . . .she carelessly disregards her mother's instructions not to speak to strangers. . .or is she tempted from the path by the beauty of the flowers that she sees. . .Does she step off the path out of self-indulgence or out of generous motive? What difference does it make? What is the wolf like? Is he realistic? Does he wear clothing? Is he sly? Is he foolish? What difference does it make? What happens to Grandmother? Does she hide in the closet? Is she sick? How does the wolf get into the house? Does she get eaten? Do we see it happen? What difference does it make? What happens when Little Red Riding Hood arrives? How does the wolf con her? Does he try to get her in bed with him? Does she get eaten? Does she hide in the closet? What difference does it make? How does the story end? Does a friend save her? a woodsman? her father? Was that person watching out for her or was the rescue accidental? Or doesn't she get saved? Does she stay in the belly of the wolf or is the wolf's belly filled up with rocks? What difference does it make?

Who is Little Red Riding Hood? Who is Little Red Cap, as Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm called her? Is she five or is she eleven? Is she six or is she sixteen? What difference does it make? Did she get her cap or her cape as a reward for being good or did she demand it, throwing tantrums until her mother gave it to her? Is she vain or is she humble? What difference does it make?

Our answers to these questions vary according to the versions that we read or that were told to us, but the fact that the variations exist tells us something. What that something is may not be easily definable, but very often the variations tell us something about either the teller or the audience. The variations may tell us something about the values of the tellers or their times; they may tell us something about the historical moment. If it was a published or a popular retelling, the variations may tell us something about readers at the time. Our preferences as listeners and readers for this variation or that variation ought to also tell us something about ourselves.

Who is Little Red Riding Hood? Why is the story so perennially popular? How can we understand its appeal? How can we understand the controversy it sometimes generates?

Explore these questions as you explore the variations.