Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales by Gregory Maguire

Author:Gregory Maguire [Maguire, Gregory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Humorous Stories, Animals, Adaptations, Juvenile Fiction, Children's stories; American, General, United States, Fairy tales, Fairy tales - United States, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Short Stories
ISBN: 9780060564193
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2006-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

LITTLE RED ROBIN HOOD

There was once a little robin who lived with his mother in a cozy nest on the very top of a telephone pole in the middle of the forest.

The little robin was called Little Red Robin Hood, because he was a red robin. Also, when he grew up, he wanted to rob the rich birds of the forest and give their worms to the poor birds of the forest.

Little Red Robin Hood pretended he was a superhero with special superpowers. Sometimes he wore a little red cape with a red hood. It was his superhero costume. It made a nice fluttering noise when he flew, like the sound of baseball cards slapping against a rotating bicycle wheel.

One day Mother Robin got a phone call. It was from Grandma Robin. She lived in a retirement village for old birds on the other side of the forest. She had her own apartment, but she took catered meals in the canteen with the other old birds to save herself the trouble of cooking and washing up.

“What’s up, you old darling?” said Mother Robin.

“I’m feeling poorly,” said Grandma Robin. “It’s the flu, maybe. Could you send that little tyke of yours over with some fresh worm salad or something? The cooking here is not worth discussing. I need some building up.”

“Of course,” said Mother Robin. “How about I make up a basket of wormy goodies? Little Red Robin Hood can fly them over later on in the day.”

“I’ll leave the key under the mat,” said Grandma Robin, “in case I’m taking a nap or watching my soaps. I don’t always hear the apartment doorbell.”

“Do you need some medicine?” asked Mother Robin.

“A look at my little grandson will perk me right up,” said Grandma Robin. “Can’t get enough of him. What a sweetheart he is. And so kind. Always wanting to rob from the rich and give to the poor.”

“He had better not. Charity is charity, but robbing is robbing,” said Mother Robin, crooking the phone receiver under her beak as she began to rummage through the fridge for some worms she’d got on sale the day before. “Someday he’s going to get into trouble with all this superhero stuff.”

“Maybe he shouldn’t come here,” said Grandma Robin. “I don’t want to be a burden. Never mind me. I’ll go droop on my perch and wait for good health to return.”

“Don’t tire yourself out worrying, old darling,” said Mother Robin. “Go sit down and rest your weary wings. He’ll be there very soon.”

“I’ll try not to be dead yet,” said Grandma Robin, and hung up.

Little Red Robin Hood loved his grandmother dearly. He was happy to help her out, especially if she had the flu. When Mother Robin had the basket of wormy goodies ready, he put on his red hood and cape and a black mask, too. He looked a little bit like a robin who had flown into a plate-glass window and gotten two black eyes out of it.

“My little superhero,” said Mother Robin, and kissed her boy fondly.

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