Kamille’s satirical peek at a day in the life of a modern Snow White as a UBC student, is quirky and fun. Kamille mashed together modern YouTubber style with a classical fairy tale character. 

There was a girl who was known as Little Red Riding Hood, for the fact that she wore her red hood to school. On a Monday morning near the end of the school year when the weather was hot and the skies were blue, Little Red Riding Hood was staying at her grandmother’s house. Little Red Riding Hood lived with her parents, but they were away for a business vacation. Usually, Little Red would get a ride to school and back home from her mother but with her mother being away and her grandmother not being able to drive due to her age, Little Red Riding Hood was left with one option: to walk from her grandmother’s house to the school.

She had never walked to school by herself because she was too young and unfamiliar with the path to take from her grandmother’s house. Little Red Riding Hood kept asking her grandmother to walk with her.

But Grandma said, “I used to walk to school when I was your age all the time. There’s nothing to worry about.”

This left Little Red Riding Hood with no option but to walk to school. She put on her shoes, backpack, and favourite red hood and marched out the front door.

When she started to get closer to school, the area around her looked familiar from all the days that her mother drove her to school. Suddenly, she tripped over her shoelace and tumbled on the cement sidewalk, scraping her palms. She sat there for a while holding her hands as she was in pain. Suddenly a man in a completely black outfit approached her and asked,

“Do you need any help?”

She replied with, “Could you give me a hand to let me get back up on my feet?”

The man then proceeded to give his hand out, and she grabbed it, pulling herself up. The man then looked at the damage Little Red had gotten from the fall.

He started to ask her, “Do you want to come in my car and I will drive you to the hospital?”

Little Red Riding Hood said, “No, sir. I am okay, I’m actually on my way to school and running a bit late now.”

The man offered her a ride to school, to which she responded with, “Again, sir, I am okay. My school is just around the corner and I should be fine.” She said thank you to the man for helping her out, and the man gave her a nod before they parted ways.

Little Red Riding Hood went through a long and tedious day at school. She saw her friends, played with them at the school park on their lunch break, and talked about some boys and drama until it was time to head inside. After lunch, her first block was gym class in which the students had a fitness test. Little Red Riding Hood was already tired and hurt from walking to school from her grandmother’s house, so she was not excited to do the fitness test. She completed the fitness test with sweat dripping down her face. She went to clean up and changed clothes from her P.E. strip to the regular clothes she originally came to school wearing. Then she finished her final block of the day, which was math class. When the class finished, Little Red Riding Hood was so happy and exhausted. Suddenly, she remembered that she must walk home.

“I wish my mom was here, I don’t like Grandma,” she mumbled, tightening her shoes to prepare for the long walk home.

Little Red Riding Hood started her journey home. After a few minutes she looked around the neighbourhood and said,”I don’t remember seeing this when walking to school this morning.”

Unfortunately, realized she must have made a wrong turn, so she started walking back to trace her footsteps. Suddenly, a car pulled up. She looked at the car, confused when a man hopped out of the vehicle. It was the same man who helped her in the morning when she scraped her hand after tripping over her shoelace. The man approached her and said,

“How’s your hand doing, little one?”

She responded in an exhausted manner, “My hand is fine, but I am so tired from school.”

The man responded with a smirk on his face, “How about I give you a ride home?”

Little Red Riding Hood looked at the man with joy and accepted the offer as she was lost and knew the older man was much wiser and knew how to get out of this neighbourhood. The man guided her to his car and she took a seat in the backseat. Little Red Riding Hood told the man whereabouts her grandma lived.

The man said, “Oh yes, I know where that is, it’s not far.”

She smiled and looked out the window, enjoying the sun and wind that were coming through the open window. Little Red Riding Hood started to get suspicious.

“Where are we going?” She asked the man.

The man looked at her and said, “We’re not going there anymore, we’re going somewhere else.”

Little Red Riding Hood has not been seen to this day.

Mark Cherkasov wrote this version of Little Red Riding Hood for English 150. He decided to put a modern twist on the tale and write it as a warning tale for young children and women. While this is a dark retelling of the tale, Mark hopes that it could act as a warning to vulnerable to be careful and not be too trusting of strangers.

Once upon a time, in the Arabian city of Agrabah, there lived a poor Muslim family. The father was a storekeeper who struggled to keep his shop open after his wife had passed away. He had two children, a son named Farhan and a daughter named Jasmine. The father was very old fashioned and did not believe in sons and daughters being equal. He was easy-going with Farhan and allowed him to do anything he wanted. This was not the case with Jasmine. In order to keep his store open, the father was strict and depended on Jasmine to sew all the fabric and make different pieces of clothing all on her own. Jasmine worked many hours in a small stall with little pay, but dared not to say a thing to her father or else he would yell. She knew she did not want to spend the rest of her life working in horrible conditions and was determined to escape.

One night once the store had closed, her father told Jasmine that he wanted to talk with her.

“You are getting older, you must get married soon,” exclaimed the father. “I have arranged a marriage for you and you will meet the man in the next couple of weeks.”

Jasmine was only 17, but young marriage was common in the Islamic city. She did not want to marry a stranger. She made a promise to herself that she would become successful on her own first, before getting married. As always, Jasmine had lost the argument against her father and agreed to meet the man.

The next day arrived. The father and Farhan had gone out to get food which left Jasmine alone at the store. A young, rich, Christian woman came by looking for an abaya(1).

“I love showing appreciation for the beautiful Arabic culture!” The kind lady exclaimed. Jasmine showed the woman one of the most beautiful pieces she had sewn, and the woman was astonished. She gave her 1000 shekel (2). The rich lady asked Jasmine many questions and started to feel bad for the conditions she was in. The woman then reached into her purse and handed Jasmine a box.

“What is this?” asked Jasmine.

To which the young lady replied,”It’s a gift. I hope it will help you out, just open it when your father is not around.”

Jasmine thanked the lady for the gift and hid it away in her room to open for later.

Once the shop was closed, Jasmine’s father gave her new fabric to sew, along with a small plate of falafel (3). She cherished the photo she had of her biggest inspiration, her mother. Jasmine’s wardrobe consisted of all her mother’s old Arab outfits, and she wore her mother’s golden Ayatul Kursi (4) necklace every day to give her blessings. She finished sewing and remembered the gift the nice lady had given her. Jasmine carefully opened the box and to her surprise, there was a beautiful and shiny lamp. As she admired and rubbed the lamp, smoke appeared from the opening and it scared her. Soon, a genie appeared, and she stared at it in disbelief.

“Who are you?” whispered Jasmine, as she did not want her father or Farhan to hear.

“I am a genie and I am here to grant you your wishes,” the genie whispered back.

Jasmine was confused. She asked,”So you can make anything come true for me?”

The genie replied, “You have three wishes, use them wisely. Once all three are used up, this lamp will burst into flames and I will be free. The only restriction is that you may not wish to bring someone back from the dead. You help me, and I will help you.”

Jasmine was still confused but listened to the genie’s instructions. She had to think of her three wishes as she wanted to make them as meaningful as possible. She told the genie she would be back tomorrow night to make her first wish, to which the genie replied by nodding and disappearing back into the lamp. Jasmine put the lamp back into the box and gently pushed it under her bed. She lay in bed and began to think of what she wanted.

The next day rolled around and it was another regular day at the store. Jasmine worked on sewing different coloured hijabs (5) and then put them up for display. As she was doing this, she continued thinking of her three wishes. Her father realized she kept getting distracted and yelled at her. The day felt long, but once she was finally able to clean up, she ran to her room and pulled the box with the lamp out from under her bed.

Jasmine rubbed the lamp and the genie appeared again.

“Have you decided on your first wish?” asked the genie.

“Yes!” said Jasmine. She slowly closed her eyes and said “I wish to become successful on my own.”

All of a sudden, there was a puff of smoke and Jasmine saw herself standing in her very own clothing store, “Jasmine’s Boutique.” The store was located in the rich part of Agrabah. Everything was exactly how she dreamed of it, with a large wall of different fabrics, the most advanced sewing machines, and the best tailors in all of the city working for her. She even had her own bedroom within the store. She could not believe her eyes. Her store soon opened and people from all over the land came to purchase her top quality Arab clothing.

A peasant of the Royal Ababwa family came by that day and requested for Jasmine to go with him to deliver some of her best pieces to the royal family. She agreed and ran to put on her best abaya, which had belonged to her mother. One of Jasmine’s workers picked out her best pieces and wrapped them in gold paper. She thanked her and went outside. The peasant was awaiting her on a camel and she hopped on behind. They made their way to the palace.

Jasmine was greeted by the guards who guided her to the queen. She met the queen’s son, Prince Ali Ababwa, and fell in love. He was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen.

Jasmine nervously said, “I’m here to give the queen some of my clothing pieces, I hope she likes them.”

To which the prince replied, “Your work is beautiful, my mother will love them.”

“Thank you, Prince!” Jasmine exclaimed while blushing.

“Call me Aladdin,” said the young prince.

Jasmine delivered her package to the queen and went back to her store.

The next few weeks passed by and Jasmine was as successful as ever. The queen had recommended Jasmine’s shop to other well-known people in the city and the amount of customers increased each and every day. Jasmine was focused on running her business, but she could not stop thinking about Aladdin. She remembered the promise she made to herself, that she must become successful on her own first before marrying someone. Jasmine continued to work hard for the next few months without letting anything distract her.

The prince soon turned 18 and word went around that the queen began her search for the prince’s wife. Girls all over Agrabah were excited and believed they had a chance, but Jasmine knew that she would be the perfect match for Aladdin. She knew what her second wish would be. That night when all her workers had gone home, she pulled out the box with the lamp, which she stored in the safe in her office. She rubbed the lamp and the genie appeared.

“Jasmine! It has been a while since you made a wish. Are you happy with your first one?” The genie asked.

To which Jasmine exclaimed, “Yes! I could not thank you enough! You have changed my life! I am ready to make my second wish!”

The genie smiled and listened.

Jasmine closed her eyes, rubbed her hands together and said, “I wish for Prince Ali Ababwa to fall in love with me!”

A puff of smoke appeared once again and she saw a letter slide from under her office door. The letter read,

Dear Jasmine,

I have not stopped thinking about you since the day you came to the palace to deliver your beautiful clothing. If you haven’t heard yet, my mother is looking for a bride for me and I knew exactly who I want it to be. I want it to be you. I have sought my mother’s approval and she would like for you to come by again tomorrow. There will be a carriage waiting for you in the morning. 

I am in love with you, Jasmine. 

Sincerely, 

Prince Ali Ababwa, AKA Aladdin.

Jasmine could not believe her eyes. She was extremely excited and did not get any sleep that night. She started planning her outfit for the day. She chose one of her nicest abayas adorned with gold crystals and beads, along with a shiny jewelry set that was gifted to her. She looked stunning and could not wait to visit the royal family again. It was soon morning and Jasmine informed her workers that she would be leaving for the day. Outside was the beautiful carriage. She hopped on next to the guard and went on her way to the palace.

The palace was just as she had remembered it. A long bridge led to the doors and her future husband was waiting for her on the other side. They made their way to the king and queen. They announced that the wedding would be in one month and gave Jasmine a room in the palace to stay. This gave her the opportunity to spend every day with Aladdin. She could not wait to become Princess Jasmine.

The day of the wedding came and it was magical. Jasmine wore a beautiful dress studded with diamonds and was crowned the princess. Everything was exactly how she dreamed. The queen gifted her and Aladdin a magical carpet which they used to fly over the city. Jasmine was so grateful for everything the genie had helped her with.

As Jasmine’s business began to expand, the queen decided to surprise her and open a second location near the palace. This allowed for even more business, as customers from all around the world came to admire and appreciate the beautiful Arabic culture. Jasmine even began selling gold jewelry inspired by her mother’s necklace.

One day as Jasmine was at her other location in Agrabah, her brother Farhan and her father came to visit her store. She had not seen them since she made her first wish. They came to congratulate her for her marriage and all her success. Although her father was hard on her, Jasmine always showed respect for her family members. She forgave her father for how he had treated her in the past. After Jasmine had left them, her father and Farhan were forced to shut down the clothing store, and for the past few months were forced to live with the little that they had. Her father’s dream was to own a restaurant in Agrabah, and with the help of Jasmine, her family was able to open a successful Arab food business.

Princess Jasmine realized she still had one wish left and knew exactly what to use it for. All this time, her wishes had been to benefit herself, but another dream of hers was to help others. She walked outside to a river with the box in her hand, and for the final time, she gently held onto the lamp and rubbed it. The genie appeared.

“Well hello, there, Princess Jasmine! Are you here to make your third and final wish?” Asked the genie.

“Yes, I am. Thank you again for everything you have done for me!”

The genie smiled and reminded her that after she made her final wish the lamp would be destroyed.

Jasmine nodded her head, closed her eyes, and made her final wish. “I wish for there to be equality and fairness for all!” and with that, smoke appeared and the lamp burst into flames.

Princess Jasmine stared in awe as the genie came out of the lamp and took the form of a human girl. The girl was named Layla. Layla hugged Princess Jasmine and thanked her for releasing her from the lamp. They soon became best friends and worked together at Jasmine’s Boutique.

News spread around the city of Agrabah of an equality and fairness act that was being put in place. As weeks went on, young girls and boys from the same family were able to play together and equally share work among themselves and their parents. Everybody in the city was happy and business thrived in every store. Princess Jasmine was in joy because she was able to help out others who were in a similar situation she was in before.

Although she was a princess who had people working for her, Princess Jasmine never stopped working hard herself and continued to be successful with her business. She helped others in any way she possibly could. Princess Jasmine was grateful for everything that had happened, and could not thank the lady who gifted her the lamp enough. She went on to have two beautiful children with her prince, and they lived happily ever after.

(1) A robe-like dress worn by Muslim women

(2) The currency in Agrabah. 1000 Shekel is equivalent to $380 CAD

(3) Deep fried ball made from ground chickpeas. Originates from the Middle East

(4) A chapter, also known as Surah from the Quran engraved on her necklace

(5) Head covering worn by Muslim women

Amber’s goal in retelling the Aladdin story was to avoid the stereotypes that the Disney version of the film included. She wanted to highlight the beautiful Arabic culture. At the same time, Amber wanted Jasmine to be the main character of her retelling so young Muslim girls could look up to her. In response to the Islamophobia that is so prevalent in the world today, Amber wanted to write a story that portrayed the Islamic world in a more accurate manner. Amber says, “The main messages to take away from my story are to be determined no matter what circumstances you are in, have hopes that things will become better if you are in a tough situation, and, if you believe, your dreams will come true.”

Not too far away and not too long ago, during a certain pandemic, there lived a brash, arrogant girl. She cohabited with her mother in a suburban residential area. People would always call the girl “Red Hoodie” from the distinctive red hoodie jacket that she never took off. Some had even started to think that she had an endless supply of those jackets or that she never washed it!

One day, Red Hoodie’s hard-working mother got a call from Hoodie’s grandmother saying that she had been feeling really ill after leaving the house without wearing a mask and would much appreciate it if someone could help take her to the hospital. Unfortunately, Red Hoodie’s mother worked a nine-to-five job and was in an incredible crunch at work so she called upon her daughter to take care of her grandmother.

“Darling, your grandmother is sick and needs help, I cannot go to her right now, can I trust that you can do this for me?” asked her mother.

Red Hoodie responded, “Mom, I thought I told you already! I’m going out with the girls today.”

Her mother kept reasoning with her until Red Hoodie accepted and thought to herself, “If only dad never left and could help us.”

Reluctantly, Red Hoodie obliged, took some cash with her, and left the house. However, Red Hoodie thought that it would be better for her to walk to her grandmother’s house rather than using public transport.

“It’s the middle of spring so I might as well walk, what’s the worst that can happen?” thought Red Hoodie to herself. After a couple of minutes into her walk, she got approached by a homeless black man asking if she could spare some change.

“Please don’t hurt me!” yelled Red Hoodie “Take whatever you want!”

The poor man tried to calm her down and to explain that he meant no harm, but Red Hoodie would not budge. Reluctantly, and due to his desperation, the man took Red Hoodie’s money leaving her penniless.

“This isn’t supposed to happen to me” murmured Red Hoodie under her breath as the man walked away.

But upon hearing that he turned around and said, “Life isn’t a fairy tale. It’s rough” before walking away.

Red Hoodie was shaking and afraid after her encounter with the homeless man and quickly continued her walk to her grandmother’s house. Upon her arrival, she rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Red Hoodie circled around the house to find another way in. She found the bedroom window on the side of the house. She peered into it to check if her grandmother was there, which she was, so she knocked and called on her through the window.

“Grandma, open up! It’s kinda hot out here. Grandma, wake up. Grandma!” But there was no answer and she looked pale.

Red Hoodie started to get scared and tried to think of a way to get in. She picked up a brick in the garden and threw it at the window to enter. The breaking window made a loud sound and attracted a nearby neighbor who was walking by and saw the incident happening. This neighbor, who coincidentally was one of Red Hoodie’s grandmother’s friends, got worried and called the police immediately, thinking it was a serial armed burglar in the area who also wore a red hoodie.

As soon as Red Hoodie got inside the house, she tried waking up her grandmother, but nothing seemed to work, and she started to panic. She knew that the only thing to do was to take her to the hospital immediately. Unfortunately for her, she still could not open the front door as she did not know where the keys that locked the door were. She had watched a video on the internet on how to open a door with a kitchen knife and proceeded to do so. While trying to open the door, she heard distant police sirens that kept getting closer and closer until they appeared to be on the opposite side of the door.

“Come out with your hands in the air” called a police officer over the microphone. “If you don’t come within 30 seconds, we have authorization to breach.”

Red Hoodie was in a dilemma. She knew that she did not commit a crime, yet she couldn’t just go out the window and tell the police what happened, she needed to get help for her grandmother, yet the only help available was a hostile force. She froze and all she could do was back away from the door, knife still in hand, towards her grandmother’s bedroom.

“Breaching! Breaching!” and with a loud bang, in came a police squad shouting at the occupants to drop any weapons and to lay on the ground with their hands on their heads. Red Hoodie was frozen stiff, even when approached by the armed police to which they had to bring her down by force. The fact that she had a knife in her hand did not help the situation the slightest.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you do or say can or will be used against you in the court of law,” warned the officer while cuffing her. Only then did she come to her senses.

“I’m Red Hoodie, that’s my grandmother. I was trying to help her to the hospital. Don’t you know who I am, this isn’t supposed to happen to me.”

To which the officer responded,“No I don’t, this isn’t a fairy tale.”

Red Hoodie was taken to a police car to which she was driven away from her grandmother’s home.

A police officer approached the grandmother,

“She isn’t breathing,” he called out, “she is gone.”

Red Hoodie’s mother tried to call her multiple times to check up on her, but she would not answer. After the fifteenth try or so, an officer picked up the phone and explained the situation. Her mother was in shock and did not believe what was happening. An investigation ensued where there was too much evidence to refute Red Hoodie’s claims, and some work from a few corrupt investigators who wanted to climb up the ladder, resulted in her having to go to court to get convicted of her crimes.

A few weeks later, and before her court date, a mysterious looking man wearing a red hoodie approached Red Hoodie’s house and knocked on the door, which her mother opened.

“Why are you here of all times?”

“It’s been ten years woman; don’t I get to see my daughter?” replied the man.

“She is going to jail. If only you were here to take care of the situation like a real man, but you’re too high out of mind to know where the nose on your face is.”

The man was taken aback and started a frenzy of questions.

“Why? For what? What did she do? Where is she now? How long has this been? What can we do?” Although he rarely saw his daughter, the man was very loving of her and would do anything for her.

“Go to the station and check with them.”

The man went to the station and asked about his daughter to which they gave the same response that his wife had told him.

He paced back and forth for about a minute and went up to one of the officers with both hands in a fist stretched out in front of him, “Cuff me and take me to jail. She is innocent. My daughter is innocent. I have been stealing from old people’s houses to satisfy my drug addiction. Take me in and let my daughter free.”

The officer obliged and documented the situation to his higher ups.

“Damn, I gotta tell my wife about this fairy tale we’re in,” said the officer while putting handcuffs on the man.

This story does not have a happy ending and the family did not live happily ever after.

Ahmed took his inspiration for this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood from Charles Perrault. He wanted to emulate the unhappy ending of Perrault’s original tale but also give the story a modern twist. It was important to Ahmed to highlight some of the problems we commonly see in today’s society: police corruption, racism, drug abuse, and disrespect to parents. He hopes that one day his story will be a relic of the past as we overcome this societal problems. 

By Tianyi Zhang

Characters

Chapter One: Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter 2: First Encounter with Wolf

Chapter 3: Wolf Salesman

Chapter 4: Confrontation Between Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf

Chapter 5: The End of Wolf

The End

Tianyi Zhang created this retelling of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, as a final project for English 150. This retelling was inspired by their own experiences when their grandfather received a scam phone call. Tianyi says, “Scammers, like the evil wolves lurking in the modern world, use sweet talk to trick the elderly.” They used the Japanese manga comic style to give a modern twist on this classic tale. Tianyi hopes this story will shed light on the vulnerability of the elderly, remind young adults to protect their elders, and to help them report fraud to the authorities.

Anastasia

Even before I opened my eyes, I knew something was off. I usually wake up to either the sound of my phone’s alarm clock or some type of noise in the street. New York City is not called the Concrete Jungle for nothing. However, today I woke up to the sound of a bird chirping. A bird in Brooklyn? Highly unlikely. The weirdness does not end here. I also had a harder time pulling off my duvet, which felt heavy all of a sudden. Ugh, another reminder that I must go to the gym more often. Without opening my eyes, I reach for my phone. I know it is unhealthy to scroll through Instagram first thing in the morning, but old habits die hard. This morning I cannot find it though. This is when I finally decide to open my eyes. The moment that happens, I feel as if I stumbled on an alternative reality.

My bed is not there, my clothes and closet are all gone, replaced by a vanity and a small rack with corsets and dresses hung all over. My duvet is gone. I realized I had been covered by some sort of animal fur. Everything is made from wood and has no color.

What is happening? Where is all my stuff? Why am I not in my room? Oh my god, I just got kidnapped!

My heart rate is starting to spike up, my palms are sweaty, my breathing is starting to get labored, all the signs of a panic attack. No. I cannot. I will not allow myself to fall into this mental black hole because I need to find a way to get out of here. I try doing some of the breathing exercises my therapist always wants me to try out, and after a couple of minutes, my vision starts to clear, and my body relaxes. That is when I finally spot a small window on the opposite side of the room. It is unlocked! Yes, this is my chance! The person who kidnapped me wasn’t smart enough to lock the window, which is weird. Isn’t that the basic rule? Never give victims an easy escape. Anyways, I decided to take my chance now that I have it and jump, without looking back.

Griselda

I am awakened by a scream and a slam. I instantly get irritated because it was probably Cinderella. Does she not understand that this is one of the most important days of my life? Today is when the most acclaimed suitor in the village is finally going to court me. I’m sure she’s jealous because I’m going to marry a prince, while she’ll be stuck here forever with her animal friends and this dirty farm. Those days are over for me! No more farm chores, mediocre food, or cleaning. Starting today, mother, my sister, Anastasia, and I will be going to lavish parties with dukes, condes, and royal families from all over France. I can’t believe my plan worked!

Ever since the prince announced that he would marry whomever the glass slipper fit, Mother and I have been doing all sorts of things to mold my feet in accordance with it. We are no fools, as we quickly realized the shoe belonged to Cinderella, my despisable stepsister, who went to the ball without our permission. At first mother and I were extremely angry, how dare she betray us like that? However, we now know it was a blessing in disguise. We were able to steal one of her shoes and using it as a reference we cut some of my flesh off to make my foot thinner to fit it, et Voila! It worked! We all know I am more fit for the role than her, as I’m clearly more attractive, and know all about how to run a household.

After I get out of bed, Cinderella makes herself useful by helping me get ready for my last day at this despicable farm. She runs me a bath, lays my dresses out for me, and with trembling hands and a sad face, helps me put on the slippers that will be the gateway to my new life. I walk down the stairs to the kitchen for the last time. I wobble a lot because of the slipper’s size, but beauty always comes with a price. When I enter the kitchen, I’m instantly repelled by the smell. It’s infested by a combination of the pottage Cinderella made, her disdainful homemade perfume, and farm animal excrement. How did the animals get inside? It smells stronger than usual. I won’t miss this place.

Anastasia

I can’t help but scream when I fall. I know that’s not the smartest move because people will be able to hear me escaping, but it was unavoidable. I land in a pile of hay that smells disgusting. I’m about to run away when I spot my sister, Griselda, inside the house looking incredibly uncomfortable. I decide to get in and save her. The room looks like an antiquated kitchen and smells terrible, like sweat, roses, and burnt food. I decide to grab one of the knives on the counter and hide under the table in case someone else comes in. When my sister approaches me, I grab her arm and pull her down the table with me. She lets out a loud, high-pitched scream that will probably get us killed.

After a solid minute of screaming, Griselda finally addresses me. “Anastasia! What are you doing down here? It’s an important day for the both of us. Today is going to be the best day of our lives!”

I don’t know how to react to this. She seems highly disturbed. I stammer for a second before replying. “Gris! Dude, are you okay? Are you on drugs? We just got kidnapped, what do you mean by the best day of our lives? It’s awful.”

“Don’t ‘dude’ me. What does that even mean? Such language shall not be used by ladies like us. You smell terrible, have you been out in those filthy stables again? You need to be more responsible. After all, today is the day we leave so I can get married! We got you a suitor too, he’s courting you tonight…” she says that last part under her breath.

Me? Married? At 18? She well knows I want to go to college and get my degree in mechanical engineering. My dream is to design cars and work with Formula One racers. Why is she acting so weird? I burst out laughing at how ridiculous everything sounds. She’s on drugs, there’s no other explanation for this. When I finally sober up, I take in her appearance. Her hair is voluminous, her cheeks look red, her lips pouty and swollen, and she’s wearing a corset and a skirt, of all things. Griselda is known for being extravagant, but this is just outrageous. What is happening and what kind of crazy reality am I in? When I finally look down at her feet, I can’t believe my eyes. There are two vertical scars on either side of each foot. The scars seem recent and deep, and her feet are deep purple. Her toenails are about to fall off. She is squeezed into some glass slippers that look about three sizes too small for her. What is she doing? This is when I remember we have been kidnapped. The fear creeps back in, leaving me motionless. Before I can move, there’s a knock on the door. Griselda takes my hand and leads me out of the room.

Griselda

This is despicable! How is my sister wearing pants? She won’t get courted now. She just ruined her life and doesn’t know it. Good thing we have the prince’s wealth, or else she would’ve ruined everything for us. After all mother has done to secure us good and stable marriages…

When I hear the loud knock, I can barely contain my excitement. I quickly stand up, forgetting that I’m wearing those uncomfortable slippers. I pull Ana with me because I want her to meet her new husband before she goes back to that old car she likes to play with. Before we enter the living room, I fix my hair because I need to look as put together as possible for my new husband. Ana, however, walks right in without second thought. Doesn’t she remember she needs to follow protocol? What’s wrong with her?

Anastasia

When I walk into the room, I’m met with a fat, smelly, old, and seemingly self-absorbed man who is looking at me expectantly.

I don’t know what he wants me to do until Cinderella comes up to me and whispers, “You have to bow and kiss his foot.”

I look back at her with a stunned look. Of course I’m not going to do that!

After what seems like hours, my sister walks inside the room. I see how unsteadily she’s walking in those heels. She tries to shrug it off, but I know her better than that. Griselda, with a big smile plastered on her face, bows down and kisses her future husband’s feet.

The moment she stands, the prince looks her up and down and says, “I guess you’re pretty enough to bear me attractive children, I agree with this marriage.”

His comment ignites a sudden wave of anger in me. “What is wrong with you? Don’t you realize what you said? My sister is more valuable than you think, she’s incredibly smart and has an amazing personality! She can do more in life than bear you children…”

In the blink of an eye, I’m grabbed by two of the prince’s guards and taken away. My sister does nothing to help me. She keeps up her act, although her smile falters a bit. I manage to kick one of the guards, and free one of my arms. I use the skills I learnt at my self-defense class to get the other man off me. After that, I run without looking back. I run for a better future for me, like the one I had planned in New York. I run and I cry, disappointed in my sister, who preferred a man over being respected and independent. I run until I can no more.

Paola was inspired to write this modern twist on the Cinderella story when she became more critically reflective of the classic fairy tales she had read in the past. She said that she believes classical fairy tales promote antiquated values and she hopes that her retelling will serve to highlight the pressures and expectations women in the 1700s lived with.

Once upon a time, in a little castle, there lived a beautiful girl named Cinderella whose father had died. Her father left her in the care of her stepmother and two stepsisters. Cinderella’s stepmother cherished Cinderella just as she cherished her two blood daughters. Cinderella lived a comfortable life in a beautifully decorated room filled with dresses, books, and all else she desired. However, even with all the luxuries, Cinderella’s world still felt so bland. She longed for an adventure, just like the ones in her books.

Like many times before, Cinderella roamed the forest by her house in search of an adventure that would distract her from her home life. Cinderella had fought with her stepmother about the upcoming royal masquerade ball and she had run into the woods to calm down. Her stepmother had always been very loving, but she was also very traditional.

Cinderella wanted a life full of thrills, however, her stepmother wanted Cinderella to find a nice man to settle down with. Her stepmother insisted that Cinderella go to the royal ball to find a suitable bachelor. This ball was incredibly special because the king would be looking for a bride for his oldest son and all the ladies would compete for his attention at the ball. Cinderella refused to go and tore her new dress in defiance before running out of the house.

As Cinderella wandered around the forest, she spotted an injured bunny. She went to scoop up the animal and she bumped right into someone.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there” she exclaimed.

“It’s okay! I was just walking around and saw the poor bunny and wanted to help. I guess you were doing the same” he answered.

They both grabbed the bunny and took it back to a nearby stable to bandage it up. Along the way, they became well acquainted. Cinderella told the stranger all about her plans to run away and travel the world on a boat one day. The stranger also confessed his dream of traveling, however, he mentioned that due to his responsibilities, his desire would stay just a dream. After patching the bunny up, they bid their goodbyes.

Just before parting ways, the young man asked if Cinderella would be going to the ball, and to her surprise, she said, “Yes.”

Cinderella rushed back to her house to find something to wear to the ball. After many hours of searching, she couldn’t find anything that looked as beautiful as the dress she had ripped up in anger. She sat on her bed and cried in defeat until she heard a knock at her door.

Her two stepsisters peered through the door and asked, “Cinderella why are you upset?”

While Cinderella explained the situation surrounding the stranger, both the sisters gathered their sewing tools and began stitching up the dress. At the end of her story, Cinderella’s stepsisters had made the dress look brand new. With only a few hours left before the ball, Cinderella’s stepmother helped Cinderella and her stepsisters get ready.

“Please be back before midnight girls,” the stepmother requested. Before leaving, Cinderella put on her great grandmother’s lucky glass slippers and placed her mask on her face. Then she hopped onto the carriage with her stepsisters, and off they went to the masquerade ball.

After arriving at the ball, Cinderella’s first instinct was to look for the mysterious stranger but with all the masks on, finding him proved to be a difficult task. As a courtesy, Cinderella danced around with many different men before stumbling upon someone who resembled her stranger.

The two of them danced and chatted throughout the night until a waiter referred to the stranger as “Your royal highness.”

A surge of worry overcame Cinderella as she discovered that her handsome stranger was actually the prince. Cinderella did not want to be stuck in a royal family where she would have to follow hundreds of rules and traditions. She saw her adventurous future fading before her eyes. As the clock struck twelve, Cinderella suddenly remembered her stepmother’s wishes and ran out the door. The prince chased after her, but he was only able to catch up to her fallen glass slipper.

The prince made it very clear to his father that he would only marry the owner of that slipper. The prince spent weeks roaming the city, trying to slip that slipper onto the feet of every woman in town. Women tried everything from squeezing their feet to oiling up their feet but none of them were successfully able to fit into that tiny slipper. It was as if that slipper was made to only bind to its rightful owner. At last, they reached Cinderella’s house. The two stepsisters were ordered to try on the shoe, but the slipper resisted both sisters’ feet.

“Are there any other young ladies present in this house” the King’s knight questioned?

“Well there is Cinderella, but she won’t come out of her room,” the stepmother answered.

“It is his majesty, the king’s order that every female in town must try on the slipper so please summon the other young lady,” one of the knights ordered.

Cinderella was forced out of her room. The knight placed the shoe by Cinderella’s foot and as if by magic, the shoe glued itself to Cinderella’s foot like a magnet to a refrigerator.

The prince instantly lit up but his joy died down when he saw the look of sorrow upon Cinderella’s face.

The prince requested some privacy and once they were the only two left in the room, the prince questioned “Why are you so sad, my love? And why did you run away the night of the ball? If you do not want to marry me, I will respect your wishes and leave.”

Cinderella had fallen in love with the prince. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the prince, but she could not let go of her adventurous plans for a man. She explained the cause of her hesitation. The prince stood in silence for a few minutes. Then he leaned in and whispered something to Cinderella that made her smile from ear to ear. The prince left with his army of people without giving anyone else an explanation.

The next morning, the king awoke to a letter from the prince, and Cinderella’s stepmother awoke to a letter from Cinderella. In the letter addressed to the king, the prince left the throne to his younger brother and expressed his aspirations to travel. In the letter from Cinderella, Cinderella thanked her stepmother and stepsisters for all their love, and she promised to visit. The two young lovers had eloped, bought a boat, and sailed away to live their happily ever after.

In Disha’s retelling of the classic, Cinderella, she wanted to address the way step-relatives are portrayed in the original. She felt that the original portrayal of the stepmother and stepsisters as evil could be very harmful to readers. So she made the conscious choice to make these characters loving in her retelling and she replaced the fairy godmother with the stepsisters. She also made the main point of conflict in the story based entirely on Cinderella’s wish to keep her independence. In the end, her Cinderella is able to follow her heart (both in love and in adventure). 

Once upon a time, a family of wolves lived in a forest.

The forest was disappearing day by day, and animals were disappearing day by day.

The mommy wolf said to the young wolf,

“You must leave here, darling, this is not a good place to live anymore.”

The young wolf asked his mommy.

“Mommy, are you coming with me?”

“No darling, you must go on your own! I am too old to go. Head to the east. It shall be a good place for you to have your own family.”

The next day, the wolf went on his way to the east, with his mommy’s warning that he must not talk or follow humans at any time.

After a few months, the wolf was still heading to the east. But, he could not find a good place to settle down, nor a partner who would be part of his pack.

The more he walked, the murkier the air became.

“Cough! Cough!”

The more he walked, the murkier the water in the river became.

“Yuck! What is in the water?”

The wolf was very hungry because he couldn’t find any animals for weeks.

As he walked through the mountain road, he saw a rotten rabbit with a skid mark on it.

“Would it be safe to eat?… Well, I need to be strong to get to the east and settle down there to make my own family!”

The wolf forced himself to eat the corpse, so he could make it to the east.

“Blarrghh!!!!!!!!!”

A few hours later, the wolf threw up the polluted water and a rotten rabbit. He had no energy to continue his journey.

After few steps, the wolf saw himself through a puddle of dirty water.

The wolf lamented in a gloomy voice.

“I can’t find any hope. Maybe my mom lied that such a place exists! She never left the west forest! She doesn’t know anything! Why am I here?”

Wolf started crying in hopelessness.

“Why are you crying, young wolf?”

The wolf looked up and there was a little girl.

She was holding a plastic cup with crystal-clear water in it.

“I am so hungry and thirsty. I have to go to the east, but I don’t have any power to carry on.”

“Poor little wolf, have some water.”

The wolf drank all the water she had.

She chucked the plastic bottle to the bush behind her and said, “Why don’t you come with me to my grandmother’s house? She always welcomes guests. She will give you food and shelter”

The wolf hesitated for a moment, but he was starving to death.

“Oh, how kind you are! Thank you.”

The wolf and a little girl walked along the pathway together.

Sooner or later, they arrived at the little village in the mountain.

The wolf was utterly exhausted so he could not walk any longer.

“Sorry, I cannot make it anymore.”

“Oh no, it’s almost there!”

“Sorry, I just can’t.”

The girl thought for a minute.

“I have an idea!”

The little girl pointed to the giant farm in the village, and said, “That is my grandmother’s farm! There are chickens in the barn, and you shall have one of them. I will tell my grandmother.”

“Is it really okay?”

“Yes, it will be just fine. She will understand.”

Knock Knock!

“Who’s there?”

“Nanna, it’s me, your granddaughter”

“Sweetie, lift up the latch and walk in.”

The little girl opened the door and entered the house.

As soon as she stepped into the house, the little girl saw a luxurious red hood in front of her.

“Happy birthday, darling. It is for you. I made it with sixteen fat minks.”

“Thank you so much, Nanna! It is so soft!”

She was so happy that she completely forgot about the wolf.

Meanwhile, the wolf walked into the barn and saw many chickens packed in small cages.

“Oh, I wondered where all the animals were, but they are here!”

The wolf happily opened the cage and started gobbling up one of the chickens.

The frightened chickens started to cluck, and the security alarm went off.

The grandmother checked the security camera, while the little girl was trying on the hood.

“Dear God, there is a big scary wolf in my barn!”

She immediately called the sheriff who lived right next to her farm.

“There is a big wolf in my barn! It is eating up all the chickens! Please go there and kill that greedy wolf!”

The wolf finished eating the first chicken, and he was still hungry.

“Let me eat one more chicken. No one is going to notice, there are so many of them!”

As soon as he opened his big mouth to start eating another chicken, BANG!

Everything turned black – but the wolf started seeing the beautiful nature where deer and rabbits were eating grass under the large oak trees, a beautiful female wolf with babies, frogs singing in an emerald pond… the place he always dreamed of… He finally arrived there as he got shot in the head.

He happily smiled and died.

In this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Taehyeong changed the point of view from that of the human characters to that of the wolf and the entire story shifted from one of triumph to one of domination and loss. Taehyeong’s goal in reversing the protagonist and antagonist of the story was to “reveal the dark side of humanity” and to encourage readers of this story to consider the perspective of animals around them.