Red hurried home from the market. She had so much to tell her mom, and she wanted to make sure there would still be time to go to Granny’s house. She raced inside and slammed the door. The noise frightened poor Mrs Rabbit so much she nearly hit the ceiling.

“What’s wrong? Who’s after you?” she cried, pulling Red and her sister close.

“No-one,” panted Red, “You told me to hurry. Remember?”

After Mrs Rabbit got over her shock, Red told her all about the market while they finished making the cupcakes.

Red didn’t get to stir this time, but that was okay because she knew they needed to hurry. Besides, Red had an even better helping job in mind.

Her mom still hadn’t said anything about Red leaving school. Red decided she would just have to keep showing her mom how grown up she was.

When the cake mixture had been poured into the pans, Red said, “I’ll put them into the oven.”

“No, the oven is too hot,” her mom said, “You might burn yourself.”

Red crossed her arms. She was about to stamp her foot, when she remembered that big girls don’t throw tantrums.

Mrs Rabbit went back to stirring the ale. That gave Red another idea.

“I could help you stir the ale,” she said.

“Sorry Red. The ale is hot too.”

“But—”

“I said no!” Her mom interrupted. “If it splashes it’ll burn you.”

Red couldn’t understand why her mom was treating her like a little kid again. How could she prove how grown up she was, if her mom didn’t even give her a chance?

Red could smell when the cupcakes were ready. It was the very best smell in the world. Mrs Rabbit was just pulling the cupcakes out of the oven, when there was a loud knock at the door.

“I’ll get it!” Red shouted, and quickly opened the door before her mom could object.

It was Mr Swift, hopping up and down and flapping his wings.

“Mrs Rabbit, please come quickly. It’s the Queen.”

“Already?” exclaimed Mrs Rabbit, “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” and before she’d even finished talking, Mr Swift had flown away.

Mrs Rabbit was a midwife—someone who helps deliver babies. The reason Red wanted to leave school was to learn how to be a midwife too, so she could help her mom. Red knew that she’d be good at it. She loved babies, and she was always practicing with Hazel.

Meg said that storks drop babies right at their house, so she didn’t know why they needed Mrs Rabbit’s help. Red’s mom said that she made sure that babies were healthy. That made total sense to Red, because it would be easy for a baby to bump it’s head on the way down or land in the wrong spot.

Being a midwife meant that Mrs Rabbit was often called away at any time of day or night. But this time was extra special. The Queen was having a baby, and the whole village was waiting to see if the baby was a boy or a girl—a Prince or a Princess.

“I’m sorry Red,” said her mom, as she got her special bag, “Granny will have to wait till tomorrow.”

Red saw her chance. This was the moment she’d been waiting for. “I could go by myself,” she said.

“It’s one thing to go to the market,” said her mom, “but the woods can be very dangerous.”

“But I’ve been there before,” Red pleaded, “I won’t be afraid.”

Mrs Rabbit paused. “Well, Granny is very ill, and the cupcakes will make her feel better.”

Red held her breath. She crossed her fingers behind her back, and thought:

Please say yes.

Please say yes.

Please say yes.

Her mom sighed. “I guess you can go.”

“Yay! Thanks Mom.” Red jumped for joy and wrapped her arms around her mom.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I will,” said Red, “I promise.”

Mrs Rabbit got some cupcakes and some ale, and packed them into Red’s basket, being careful not to squash Hazel. Then she picked up Red’s baby sister. “I can go with you to the edge of the woods,” she said.

Red looked at Hazel sitting in her basket between the cupcakes and the ale. She remembered what Meg had said, and wondered if Meg was right. Maybe she was too old to carry a doll everywhere. She put Hazel on her bed and whispered, “I’ll be back soon.”

 

Red could hardly believe she was allowed to go to the market on her own. She waved to Mrs Applebottom who was watering her flowers, and when Red told Mrs Shrew that she was going to the market by herself, Mrs Shrew remarked, “By yourself? How very grown up.”

Red was so happy, she didn’t even mind when Mr Crow, said “Good morning Millicent.” Mr Crow was her school teacher, and the only one who called Red by her real name. Instead of correcting him, she politely replied, “Good morning Mr Crow.”

The market was busy as usual. There were lots of people gathered around the colorful stalls and shops. As Red passed the fruit stall, Mr Squirrel called her over. “Where’s your mother?” he asked.

“She’s at home,” Red replied, “I’m here all by myself.”

“What’s the inside tip?” he asked. Red just looked at him, confused.

“About the Royal baby. What does your mom think? Boy or Girl?”

“She says it doesn’t matter as long as it’s healthy,” Red replied.

“Good girl,” he said, “Here.” He held out an apple and whispered, “Don’t tell Mrs Squirrel.”

Red thanked him, but he was already gone. Mr Squirrel often gave her a piece of fruit, and always said not to tell Mrs Squirrel, even though Red was pretty sure Mrs Squirrel knew all about it.

As she munched on her apple, Red saw her friend Ivy. Ivy was lucky because she had six brothers and sisters. She always had someone to play with. Red only had one baby sister who never did anything interesting.

“Hi Ivy!” Red waved to her friend.

Ivy waved back. “Hi Red!”

Ivy’s mom looked around. “Hello Red. Where’s your mother?”

“Hi Mrs Goat,” Red replied, “Mom is at home. She said I’m old enough to come all by myself.”

“Well, please tell her I said hello.”

“Okay, I will.” Red stuck her tongue out at Ivy’s little brother Billy. Ivy giggled, so he made a face back at Red, but Mrs Goat saw him and told him off.

Red smiled. Billy was always getting himself in trouble.

As she passed the bakery, Red heard a deep voice say, “Why if it isn’t Little Red Riding Hood. Where is that mother of yours?”

Red looked up and saw Mr Bear, the baker. “I’m here by myself,” she said.

“Please ask your mother to bring more of her famous cupcakes soon,” Mr Bear said, “People have been asking for them.”

Red told him she would, then she took a short cut to the egg shop, making sure to stay away from the scary shops like the tavern and the blacksmith. Even her mom didn’t like going near them.

Mrs Chicken gave Red a big smile when she arrived at the egg shop.

“Hi Red,” she called out, “Let me see where Meg is.”

“Thank you Mrs Chicken, but first I need some eggs please.”

Mrs Chicken smiled again. “I’ll give them to your mom.”

Nearly bursting, Red said, “mom let me come by myself today.”

“Oh!” said Mrs Chicken, “Well in that case I’ll get you some eggs.”

A minute later Meg came out. Red could tell her friend was upset, even before she flopped herself on the counter.

“Hi Red,” she moaned.

“What’s wrong?” asked Red.

“Peggy has started to lay eggs already.”

Peggy was Meg’s older sister, and now that she could lay eggs, she could FINALLY leave school and work in the coop.

Every time Red asked her mom when she could leave school, her mom just said “When you’re ready.” Red wondered if she was ready now. Maybe her mom was just waiting to see how well she did at the market.

“Don’t worry,” Red replied, “I’m sure you’ll be able to lay eggs when you’re a big girl like me.”

Red realized Meg was staring at her with a strange look on her face.

“Are you trying to lay an egg now?” Red asked.

Meg exploded. “WHAT?!?” she cried. “I’m two weeks older than you, and… and,” she noticed Red’s basket, “at least I don’t carry a dolly around everywhere like a BABY!”

And with that Meg stamped her foot and stormed out, nearly running into Mrs Chicken.

“Careful Meg!” Mrs Chicken just managed to save the eggs from dropping. She put them on the counter and started filling Red’s basket. “I don’t know what’s gotten into that girl lately.”

Red moved Hazel so the eggs could fit. “I used to have tantrums like that when I was little,” she said.

It was true. Just yesterday she chucked a tantrum when her mom made her wash behind her ears.

Mrs Chicken just smiled and said, “Say hi to your mom for me.”

On her way out, Red stopped at the entrance. “It’s okay Mrs Chicken, Meg will be a big girl like me one day.”

 

Red was so busy playing with her doll, Hazel, that she didn’t hear her mother calling. The first time or the second time.

Mrs Rabbit called again. “LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD! Please get me some carrots.”

“Yes Mom!” Red called back. As she skipped to the veggie garden, Red wondered why her mother was always shouting.

“I hate it when you call me that,” said Red when she came inside. Mrs Rabbit wiped her forehead, her hands covered with flour.

“Well you should have answered the first time,” she said, “Do you want to stir?”

“Yes please!” Red squealed. Stirring was her favorite helping job, especially when her mom made cupcakes. Red hopped onto a stool and swung the carrots up to the table.

“Watch out for the—”

It was too late. The carrots landed right on top of the eggs. Red heard them SQUELCH! and egg splattered all over everything— including Red and her mom.

Red guessed her mom didn’t like having egg on her face. She looked a bit like she’d had an accident blowing her nose. That made Red giggle, but she tried to hold it in, because her mom was giving her the look. The look meant Red was in BIG trouble, and smiling usually made her mom even madder.

“Here!” Mrs Rabbit said through her teeth, handing Red the wooden spoon, “Please don’t make any more mess.”

While Red stirred, her mom cleaned up. Red licked some egg off her lips. She made a face. She didn’t like raw egg, but she did like cupcakes, especially carrot cupcakes.

“I can’t wait to eat these,” she said.

“They’re not for you,” said her mom, “The cupcakes are for Granny, to make her feel better.”

“Are we visiting Granny?” Red’s Granny was her favorite person in the whole world. “I bet she’ll let me have a cupcake.”

“Only if we get them finished,” said her mom, “Can you please get me two more eggs?”

Red hopped down from her stool and looked in the egg bowl.

“There aren’t any,” she said.

Red’s mom came over and looked in the bowl. “Oh dear, you’re right. We can’t make cupcakes without eggs.”

Red’s mom looked at her, for a really long time. Red was just starting to think she was in trouble again when her mom finally spoke.

“Would you like to go to the market by yourself?” she asked.

“By myself?” Red didn’t know about that. She’d been to the market lots of times, but always with her mom. She’d never gone all by herself.

“Can’t you come too?” she asked.

“I have to stay and look after the ale or it’ll spoil.”

People came from all over to buy Mrs Rabbit’s ale. They said it was so good, it must have a secret ingredient. Red once heard Mrs Shrew say the secret ingredient was rabbit droppings, but Red didn’t believe that, because her mom hardly ever dropped anything in the ale. Mrs Rabbit told people the secret ingredient was love.

Red realized her mom was still talking.

“We’ll go another time,” she said, “I’m sure Granny will understand.”

Red didn’t want to miss out on going to Granny’s house. Maybe going to the market wouldn’t be so scary after all, and she would get to see Meg—her very best friend in the whole wide world.

“I guess I could go by myself,” Red said in her bravest voice.

Red’s mom smiled, “That’s my big girl.”

That made Red feel a bit better. She knew her mom really meant it, not like when she called Red’s baby sister a big girl, when she did something totally easy like sit up or eat solid food. Besides, Red was pretty sure that only grownups were allowed to go to the market all by themselves.

“Make sure you hurry there and back,” Red’s mom warned, helping Red put on her riding hood.

Red loved her red riding hood. When she wore it, she pretended that she was a princess. She wore it so much, people started calling her Little Red Riding Hood. After a while everyone just called her Red.

As she picked up her basket, Red wondered if people would call her BIG Red Riding Hood now.

She made sure that Hazel was safely tucked in while her mother walked her to the gate.

“Don’t forget. Straight there and back.”

Red rolled her eyes, “Yes Mom!” She said, and started skipping along the road.

Red skipped everywhere. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to walk when they could skip. Skipping was so much more fun.

At the corner, Red stopped and looked back. She was glad to see her mom still at the gate.

“Be careful of the big animals,” her mom called.

Red nodded and waved, and then turned the corner to the market.