In the 14th century, the tale of Little Red Riding Hood was told orally by peasants. La finta nonna was an early Italian version in which the young girl uses her cunning to beat the wolf without the help of anyone else. The French had their version dating back to the 17th century called Le Petit Chaperon Rouge. Charles Perrault included it in his Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals published in 1697. This version was darker and featured a young village girl being deceived by the wolf to find her grandmother’s house where he eats her and avoids being noticed by the woodcutters working nearby. The wolf lays traps for the girl and later ends up being eaten by him.
In 1812, the Grimm Brothers published a first version of this tale called Rotkäppchen which has the girl and grandmother saved by a huntsman that wanted the wolf’s skin. They also published a sequel where the girl and grandmother trapped and killed another wolf after learning from their experience the first time. In 1857, after revising this tale multiple times, the Grimm Brothers published the best known version where the girl is tricked by the wolf on her way to grandmothers house, the wolf eats both the girl and grandmother, then the woodcutter comes to the rescue and cuts open the wolf and frees both of them unharmed.
In 1922, Walt Disney produced a short cartoon rendition of this tale and included it as part of the Laugh-O-Grams series. This was considered Disney’s very first animated cartoon. This film paved the way for other short comedies to be created. In 1931, Fleischer Studios created an animated short film starring Betty Boop in Dizzy Red Riding Hood. In 1937, Warner Brothers produced Little Red Walking Hood in classic Looney Tunes style.
In 1965, Sid Smith directed a comedy musical adaption called The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood which tells the story from the Wolf’s point of view and the screen legend, Liza Minelli, plays Red Riding Hood.
In 2011, Catherine Hardwicke directed the romance horror film, Red Riding Hood, which follows a love triangle, a monster hunter and a threat of a werewolf that takes human form during the day.
This fairy tale has become so popular for its repetitiousness. The characters in this story have been revised and adapted into comedies, cartoons and horror movies. The familiarity draws us in but the different portrayals keeps us interested.
The De Carlini Little Red Riding Hood Christmas Ornament is decorated in a red cloak and holds a flower and basket.
The De Carlini Wolf from Red Riding Hood Christmas Ornament is dressed in grandmother’s white cap, cape and apron.
The De Carlini Grandmother Christmas Ornament is decorated in a white cap, green dress with white apron and capelet.
