I have a charming voice. It causes women to become weak-kneed around me. Old and young, it works with them all.

I especially like them young, though, like that little Red-Cap. What a morsel! You have to approach gently. Don’t show your appetite. “Good day, little Red-Cap. Where are you headed so early in the day?”

Her innocent answers will tell you exactly where she is going. “A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood. My grandmother’s house stands under three large oak trees that have dropped all their nuts. You are sure to know the place.”

Oh yes, I do, my little delectable!

The Hungry Wolf in Little Red-Cap, the Grimms’ version of Red Riding Hood. Illustration by Harry Clarke.