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P.ED RIDING-HOOD. 83
tripped out of the \rood close beside them, swinging a
basket in her hand and singing merrily.
" I know now, there's Bed Riding-Hood," exclaimed
the Chimney-Elf and as the little ;
girl came up, he continued:
"How about the wolf, my dear?
this morning ? "
Has he met you
"'
Oh, no, sir, thank you," replied Red Riding-Hood ;
" 1 haven't seen anything like a wolf."
u What, haven't you spoken to any one since you
left home?"
"Nobody but a sheep, sir."
"A sheep, eh!"
" Yes, sir ;
such a nice sheep, all curly and clean as he
could be. He said he'd just
been
bathing in the brook up
here."
" And did yon
tell the nice
curly sheep where you were
going, my dear " ? asked the
Chimney-Elf, grinning from ear
to ear, so that Rhoda hated to
look at him.
"Yes, sir; I told him that I was going to grand
mamma's, to carry a pot of butter, and a basket of eggs,
and a cake," said Red Riding-Hood.
" And please, sir,
I had better go along, for mother told me not to stop to