To demonstrate how easy it is for an oral story to become altered, we have "mad libbed" the story of Little Red Riding Hood. As a story is passed down orally, it is adapted by each of the story tellers who omit things and add things to their liking (or perhaps because they have a bad memory). Until it was recorded in a book by Charles Perrault, the story had a lot of fluidity, however, after it was recorded, there are certain aspects of it which do not change; the red cloak, the character of the wolf, and the distinct dialogue between Little Red and the wolf when he is disguised as grandmother.
Little Green Hoodie: the English 227 class adaptation
Once upon a time there was a lovely young girl. Everyone who
saw her liked her, but most of all her great aunt who gave her a hoodie made of
green velvet. Because it suited her so well, and she wanted to wear it all the
time, she came to be known as Little Green Hoodie.
One day her mother said to her, "Come Little Green Hoodie. Here is some steak and casserole. Take them to your great aunt’s cottage on the beach. Behave yourself on the way and do not leave the path or talk to strangers.”
Little Green Hoodie promised to obey her mother. She set off for the beach, a half hour from her village. While Little Green Hoodie skipped along the path, a polar bear came up to her. She did not know what a despicable animal he was, and was not afraid of him.
"Good day to you, Little Green Hoodie.”
"Thank you, Mr. Polar Bear."
"Where are you going so early, Little Green Hoodie?”
"To my great aunt's house."
"And what are you carrying in your basket?"
"My great aunt is sick and weak, and I am taking her some steak and casserole we baked yesterday, and they should give her strength."
" Little Green Hoodie ,just where does your great aunt live?"
"Her house is a good quarter hour from here, right next to the ocean. It’s a lovely cottage right on the beach. You must know the place," said Little Green Hoodie.
The polar bear thought to himself, "Now there is a tasty meal for me. I can eat up the great aunt for a snack, and then eat up Little Green Hoodie for lunch.” Then he said, "Listen, Little Green Hoodie, I see you don’t have an iPod, have you heard about the big sale on iPods in the nearby town?”
Little Green Hoodie thought, "I have been wanting one ever since the iPod mini came out! Anyway, it is still early, and I'll be home on time, it can’t hurt to go take a look." And she ran off the path to search for the iPod sale. The polar bear ran straight to the great aunt's house and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?"
“It’s me, Little Green Hoodie. I'm have brought you some steak and casserole. Open the door for me."
"Come in, my dear” called out the great aunt. "I'm too weak to get up."
The polar bear pressed the latch, and the door opened. He stepped inside, went straight to the great aunt's bed, and ate her up. Then he took her clothes, put them on, and put her cap on his head. He got into her bed and pulled the curtains shut.
Little Green Hoodie left the town and set off to her great aunt's cottage after she became a proud owner of a brand new iPod nano. When she arrived, she knocked on the door.
“Who’s there” asked the polar bear, softening his voice so that it sounded like her great aunt’s voice.
“It’s me, Little Green Hoodie. I have brought some steak and casserole for you.”
“Come in, my dear” said the polar bear.
Little Green Hoodie opened the door and went in. When she saw her great aunt, she was shocked at how different she looked.
"Oh auntie! What broad shoulders you have!"
"All the better hug to you with, my dear"
"Oh, auntie! What a thick neck you have!"
"All the better to hold my head up with, my dear"
"Oh, grandmother, what furry stomach you have!"
"All the better to store my food with, my dear"
"Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big teeth you have!"
"All the better to eat you with!" And with that he jumped out of bed, jumped on top of poor Little Green Hoodie and swallowed her whole. As soon as the polar bear finished this tasty bite, he climbed back into bed, fell asleep, and began to snore very loudly.
A crocodile wrestler was just passing by, on his way to the ocean to search for salt water crocodiles. He thought it strange that the sounds of snoring was so loud, so he decided to take a look. He stepped inside, and in the bed there lay the polar bear! "He has eaten the poor resident of this cottage!" thought the crocodile wrestler. So he took his giant samurai sword and sliced open the belly of the polar bear.
Little Green Hoodie and her great aunt jumped out of the polar bear’s belly unharmed. He had gobbled her up so fast that he didn’t chew her up at all.
The three of them were very happy. The crocodile hunter took the polar bear 's pelt, the great aunt ate the steak and casserole Little Green Hoodie had brought. And Little Green Hoodie thought to herself, "As long as I live, I will never leave stray from the path or talk to strangers if mother tells me not to."
One day her mother said to her, "Come Little Green Hoodie. Here is some steak and casserole. Take them to your great aunt’s cottage on the beach. Behave yourself on the way and do not leave the path or talk to strangers.”
Little Green Hoodie promised to obey her mother. She set off for the beach, a half hour from her village. While Little Green Hoodie skipped along the path, a polar bear came up to her. She did not know what a despicable animal he was, and was not afraid of him.
"Good day to you, Little Green Hoodie.”
"Thank you, Mr. Polar Bear."
"Where are you going so early, Little Green Hoodie?”
"To my great aunt's house."
"And what are you carrying in your basket?"
"My great aunt is sick and weak, and I am taking her some steak and casserole we baked yesterday, and they should give her strength."
" Little Green Hoodie ,just where does your great aunt live?"
"Her house is a good quarter hour from here, right next to the ocean. It’s a lovely cottage right on the beach. You must know the place," said Little Green Hoodie.
The polar bear thought to himself, "Now there is a tasty meal for me. I can eat up the great aunt for a snack, and then eat up Little Green Hoodie for lunch.” Then he said, "Listen, Little Green Hoodie, I see you don’t have an iPod, have you heard about the big sale on iPods in the nearby town?”
Little Green Hoodie thought, "I have been wanting one ever since the iPod mini came out! Anyway, it is still early, and I'll be home on time, it can’t hurt to go take a look." And she ran off the path to search for the iPod sale. The polar bear ran straight to the great aunt's house and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?"
“It’s me, Little Green Hoodie. I'm have brought you some steak and casserole. Open the door for me."
"Come in, my dear” called out the great aunt. "I'm too weak to get up."
The polar bear pressed the latch, and the door opened. He stepped inside, went straight to the great aunt's bed, and ate her up. Then he took her clothes, put them on, and put her cap on his head. He got into her bed and pulled the curtains shut.
Little Green Hoodie left the town and set off to her great aunt's cottage after she became a proud owner of a brand new iPod nano. When she arrived, she knocked on the door.
“Who’s there” asked the polar bear, softening his voice so that it sounded like her great aunt’s voice.
“It’s me, Little Green Hoodie. I have brought some steak and casserole for you.”
“Come in, my dear” said the polar bear.
Little Green Hoodie opened the door and went in. When she saw her great aunt, she was shocked at how different she looked.
"Oh auntie! What broad shoulders you have!"
"All the better hug to you with, my dear"
"Oh, auntie! What a thick neck you have!"
"All the better to hold my head up with, my dear"
"Oh, grandmother, what furry stomach you have!"
"All the better to store my food with, my dear"
"Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big teeth you have!"
"All the better to eat you with!" And with that he jumped out of bed, jumped on top of poor Little Green Hoodie and swallowed her whole. As soon as the polar bear finished this tasty bite, he climbed back into bed, fell asleep, and began to snore very loudly.
A crocodile wrestler was just passing by, on his way to the ocean to search for salt water crocodiles. He thought it strange that the sounds of snoring was so loud, so he decided to take a look. He stepped inside, and in the bed there lay the polar bear! "He has eaten the poor resident of this cottage!" thought the crocodile wrestler. So he took his giant samurai sword and sliced open the belly of the polar bear.
Little Green Hoodie and her great aunt jumped out of the polar bear’s belly unharmed. He had gobbled her up so fast that he didn’t chew her up at all.
The three of them were very happy. The crocodile hunter took the polar bear 's pelt, the great aunt ate the steak and casserole Little Green Hoodie had brought. And Little Green Hoodie thought to herself, "As long as I live, I will never leave stray from the path or talk to strangers if mother tells me not to."
