Page 3 of Abundant Moon
Expecting the question, he showed her the book cover and launched into an explanation.
“Well, three hundred years ago, people dressed differently than they do now. A riding hood is like a loose coat and hat they wore to keep warm and dry when they went outside or rode horses.”
Evie’s eye went wide, accompanied by a toothy smile.
“I want a riding hood. A red one! May I have one, please?”
Evan groaned loudly from the kitchen.
“Better get shopping, Uncle Nolan, unless you know how to sew!”
Nolan winced while Garrett and the kids laughed at him. He chose to open the book and start reading before anyone else got ideas. Like the Three Little Pigs, this story featured a big bad wolf. This time his intended victims were humans, and the children were astonished a wolf wanted to eat them! Once the old woman met her sorry fate, Little Red entered the house to find the wolf lying in bed and dressed in her grandmother’s nightgown and cap.
“Grandmother, what big ears you have!”
“All the better to hear with, my child.”
“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”
“All the better to see with, my dear.”
“Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!”
“All the better to eat you up with.”
“Then the wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood and ate her all up. The End.”
One might as well have thrown a live hand grenade into the living room, for all the resulting ruckus. The twins considered it a jolly good story, even as the triplets argued the girl should have run away. Evie’s voice cut through the chatter with a declaration of her own.
“No! Wolves are good and smart and don’t eat people!”
Teary eyed, she pulled the book from Nolan’s hands and gave it to Garrett.
“He didn’t read it right! You try this time, Uncle Garrett.”
He kissed the top of her head and shushed her brothers before starting over. He made a show of turning the book upside down, declaring itsomuch better this way, and with a deep sigh, began the story. This time, the wolf was actually a shifter trying to hide from the wicked humans who wanted to destroy him. Little Red saw him shifting in the forest and ran into town to get the constable.
Meanwhile, the wolf entered an empty cottage, intending to hide there until dark. He shifted to human, dressed in nightclothes, got into bed, and fell fast asleep. Later, Little Red walked in to tell her grandmother all about the scary wolf man she saw in the forest. She noticed the old woman remained very quiet and looked rather strange.
“Grandmother, what a whiskered face you have!”
“I forgot to wash, my dear.”
“Grandmother, what a deep voice you have!”
“It’s only a frog in my throat, child.”
“Grandmother, what big arms and legs you have!”
“Nonsense, my girl, I haven’t changed a whit.”
“Before Little Red asked another question, her real grandmother and the constable entered the cottage. The old woman screamed in fright as the lawman rushed towards the imposter with a heavy club. Lickety split the shifter transformed, and still wearing grandmother’s nightgown, ran out through the open door and disappeared into the woods. The End.”
This time the children clapped and laughed at the new version of the story. The boys were sure the wolf learned how to shift with clothes on from their Papa, while Evie seemed relieved no one was eaten. Mitchell, once again, wanted more information.
“Uncle Garrett, are humans afraid of us? Do they think we will hurt them?”
Evan heard the question and walked into the living room to join them; curious what Garrett might say.
