TAN: Little Red Riding Hood

Apr 16, 2000, 12:06 PM ET16 posts by 4 posters
16 posts
Mark Hunter

Apologies for the caps-lock fiasco. I copied and pasted it from a html email I recieved...

THERE ONCE WAS A YOUNG PERSON NAMED RED RIDING HOOD WHO LIVED WITH HER MOTHER ON THE EDGE OF A LARGE WOOD. ONE DAY HER MOTHER ASKED HER TO TAKE A BASKET OF FRESH FRUIT AND MINERAL WATER TO HER GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE------NOT BECAUSE THIS WAS WOMAN'S WORK, MIND YOU, BUT BECAUSE THE DEED WAS GENEROUS AND HELPED ENGENDER A FEELING OF COMMUNITY. fURTHERMORE, HER GRANDMOTHER WAS NOT SICK, BUT RATHER WAS IN FULL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WAS FULLY CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF HERSELF AS A MATURE ADULT.

SO RED RIDING HOOD SET OFF WITH HER BASKET THROUGH THE WOODS. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED THAT THE FOREST WAS A FOREBODING AND DANGEROUS PLACE AND NEVER SET FOOT IN IT. RED RIDING HOOD, HOWEVER, WAS CONFIDENT IN HER OWN BUDDING SEXUALITY THAT SUCH OBVIOUS FREUDIAN IMAGERY DID NOT INTIMIDATE HER.

ON THE WAY TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE, RED RIDING HOOD WAS ACCOSTED BY A WOLF, WHO ASKED HER WHAT WAS IN THE BASKET. SHE REPLIED ,"SOME HEALTHFUL SNACKS FOR MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO IS CERTAINLY CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF HERSELF AS A MATURE ADULT."

THE WOLF SAID, "YOU KNOW MY DEAR, IT ISN'T SAFE FOR A LITTLE GIRL TO WALK THROUGH THESE WOODS ALONE."

RED RIDING HOOD SAID, "I FIND YOUR SEXIST REMARK OFFENSIVE IN THE EXTREME, BUT I WILL IGNORE IT BECAUSE OF YOUR TRADITIONAL STATUS AS AN OUTCAST FROM SOCIETY, THE STRESS OF WHICH HAS CAUSED YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN, ENTIRELY VALID, WORLDVIEW. NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I MUST BE ON MY WAY.

RED RIDING HOOD WALKED ON ALONG THE MAIN PATH. BUT , BECAUSE HIS STATUS OUTSIDE SOCIETY HAD FREED HIM FROM SLAVISH ADHERENCE TO LINEAR, WESTERN-STYLE THOUGHT, THE WOLD KNEW A QUICKER ROUTE TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE. HE BURST INTO THE HOUSE AND ATE GRANDMA, AN ENTIRELY VALID COURSE OF ACTION FOR A CARNIVORE SUCH AS HIMSELF. THEN, UNHAMPERED BY TRADITIONALIST NOTIONS OF WHAT WAS MASCULINE OR FEMININE, HE PUT ON GRANDMA,S NIGHTCLOTHES AND CRAWLED INTO BED.

RED RIDING HOOD ENTERED THE COTTAGE AND SAID, "GRANDMA, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU SOME FAT-FREE, SODIUM-FREE SNACKS TO SALUTE YOU IN YOUR ROLE OF A WISE AND NURTURING MATRIARCH."

FROM THE BED THE WOLF SAID SOFTLY, "COME CLOSER, CHILD, SO THAT I MIGHT SEE YOU."

RED RIDING HOOD SAID, "OH, I FORGOT YOU ARE AS OPTICALLY CHALLENGED AS A BAT. GRANDMA, WHAT BIG EYES YOU HAVE."

"THEY HAVE SEEN MUCH , AND FORGIVEN MUCH, MY DEAR."

"GRANDMA, WHAT A BIG NOSE YOU HAVE-------ONLY RELATIVELY, OF COURSE, AND CERTAINLY ATTRACTIVE IN ITS OWN WAY."

"IT HAS SMELLED MUCH AND FORGIVEN MUCH MY DEAR."

"GRANDMA, WHAT BIG TEETH YOU HAVE!"

THE WOLF SAID, "I AM HAPPY WITH WHO I AM AND WHAT I AM," AND LEAPT OUT OF BED. HE GRABBED RED RIDING HOOD IN HIS CLAWS , INTENT ON DEVOURING HER, RED RIDING HOOD SCREAMED, NOT OUT OF ALARM AT THE WOLF'S APPARENT TENDENCY TOWARDS CROSS--DRESSING, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS WILLFUL INVASION OF HER PERSONAL SPACE.

HER SCREAMS WERE HEARD BY A PASSING WOOD--CUTTER PERSON (OR LOG-FUEL TECHNICIAN, AS HE PREFERRED TO BE CALLED). WHEN HE BURST INTO THE COTTAGE, HE SAW THE MELEE AND TRIED TO INTERVENE. BUT AS HE RAISED HIS AXE, RED RIDING HOOD AND THE WOLF BOTH STOPPED.

"AND JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" ASKED RED RIDING HOOD.

THE WOOD--CUTTER PERSON BLINKED AND TRIED TO ANSER, BUT NO WORDS CAME TO HIM.

"BURSTING IN HERE LIKE A NEANDERTHAL, TRUSTING YOUR WEAPON TO DO YOUR THINKING FOR YOU!" SHE EXCLAIMED. "SEXIST! SPECIESIST! HOW DARE YOU ASSUME THAT WOMEN AND WOLVES CAN'T SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS WITHOUT A MAN'S HELP!"

WHEN SHE HEARD RED RIDING HOOD'S IMPASSIONED SPEECH, GRANDMA JUMPED OUT OF THE WOLF'S MOUTH, SEIZED THE WOOD--CUTTER PERSONS AXE, AND CUT HIS HEAD OFF. AFTER THIS ORDEAL, RED RIDING HOOD, GRANDMA AND THE WOLF FELT A CERTAIN COMMONALITY OF PURPOSE. THEY DECIDED TO SET UP AN ALTERNATIVE HOUSEHOLD BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT AND COOPERATION, AND THEY LIVED TOGETHER IN THE WOODS HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

- - m a r k j h u n t e r - -
Tennant StuartMark Hunter

In article , "Mark Hunter" wrote:

Too hard to read. It's entirely up to you, but if you wish to share this widely, perhaps you'd care to switch the case, like this...

There once was a young person named Red Riding Hood who

Tennant, (just a suggestion)

Greetings to family, friends, and neighbours from [email]
Mark HunterTennant Stuart

Tennant Stuart wrote in message news:[email]...

Not sure how to, though. Foolishly the person who sent it to me ( a complete email amateur ;-) ) used some mad font that's all in capitals (you know the sort).

Any clues as to get into a more readable format, other than re-typing it?

JacquiMark Hunter

this

(you

it?

Have you got MS Word? (I don't know about other WP's capabilities in this respect.) If so, drop the whole thing into Word, then select it all and change cases (under the "format" dropdown, "change cases" IIRC). Then save it and take it back to your mail program.

Jac

Mark HunterJacqui

Jacqui wrote in message news:8dfk5h$6u8$[email]...

Heh heh, under normal circumstances it would've dawned on me (I do loads of DTP), but tiredness, and the fact that I've often got one eye on Cameron as I sit @ my computer robbed me of clear thought ;-)

RavenMark Hunter

I heard Mark Hunter's cries on the wind...

Okay, so I'm mind-numbingly anal. It isn't perfect, but it only took about thirty seconds in Word 97.

There once was a young person named Red Riding Hood who lived with her mother on the edge of a large wood. One day her mother asked her to take a basket of fresh fruit and mineral water to her grandmother's house------not because this was woman's work, mind you, but because the deed was generous and helped engender a feeling of community. Furthermore, her grandmother was not sick, but rather was in full physical and mental health and was fully capable of taking care of herself as a mature adult.

So Red Riding Hood set off with her basket through the woods. Many people believed that the forest was a foreboding and dangerous place and never set foot in it. Red Riding Hood, however, was confident in her own budding sexuality that such obvious Freudian imagery did not intimidate her.

On the way to Grandma's house, Red Riding Hood was accosted by a Wolf, who asked her what was in the basket. She replied, "Some healthful snacks for my grandmother, who is certainly capable of taking care of herself as a mature adult."

The Wolf said, "You know my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone."

Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid, worldview. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."

Red Riding Hood walked on along the main path. But, because his status outside society had freed him from slavish adherence to linear, western-style thought, the Wolf knew a quicker route to Grandma's house. He burst into the house and ate Grandma, an entirely valid course of action for a carnivore such as himself. Then, unhampered by traditionalist notions of what was masculine or feminine, he put on Grandma's nightclothes and crawled into bed.

Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and said, "Grandma, I have brought you some fat-free, sodium-free snacks to salute you in your role of a wise and nurturing matriarch."

JacquiRaven

heh, you beat me posting by 7 mins...

Jac (and it took me about 4 secs) :)

RavenJacqui

I heard Jacqui's cries on the wind...

Yeah, but I went through and fixed lots of capitalisations and punctuation too. :-P

Raven "Maybe I always knew / My fragile dreams would be broken for you" - Danny Cavanagh Alt.Tv.Friends posting FAQ : http://members.aol.com/bradbb/atfnet.html
Mark HunterRaven

You see what happens when you get a full nights sleep.... at least once a week? You're able to think straight!

Thanks, Raven...

Raven wrote in message news:[email]...

Tennant StuartRaven

In article , Raven wrote:

Lol! Many thanks Mark & Raven. Commiserations to Jacqui. :)

Tennant

Greetings to family, friends, and neighbours from [email]
JacquiTennant Stuart

Tennant Stuart wrote

Ah, but I was helpful enough to *share the method* with the group. Not just display the results and wait for appreciation! :)

Jac

Tennant StuartJacqui

In article , "Jacqui" wrote:

You're beautiful, Jacqui. :)

Tennant :)

Greetings to family, friends, and neighbours from [email]
RavenJacqui

I heard Jacqui's cries on the wind...

Hey, I said I used Word 97. The remaining details were left as an exercise to the reader.

You're just sore because I beat you to it. :-)

Raven "Maybe I always knew / My fragile dreams would be broken for you" - Danny Cavanagh Alt.Tv.Friends posting FAQ : http://members.aol.com/bradbb/atfnet.html
JacquiRaven

Quoth the Raven

Not

No, because I am now officially beautiful. It is impossible for me to get angry therefore.

Jac

Tennant StuartJacqui

In article , "Jacqui" wrote: Quoth the Raven

SWIMSWIM�

Tennant :)

� Just made this up.

Greetings to family, friends, and neighbours from [email]