Little Red Riding Hood does not have a clear, singular origin, as it was inspired by and evolved from earlier folk stories across Europe. However, the version of Little Red Riding Hood that we know best originated primarily in France and Germany. In French, the story is called Le Petit Chaperon Rouge.

Most modern retellings of Little Red Riding Hood are based on the version by the Brothers Grimm, which appeared in the 19th century.

In some of the earliest versions of the story, Little Red Riding Hood didn’t wear any red at all, but the Brothers Grimm version helped solidify the association between the character and the color red.

Charles Perrault was the first author, and was before the Brothers Grimm, to have his version of Little Red Riding Hood widely published. In Perrault’s version, however, the wolf successfully eats both Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. In contrast, the Brothers Grimm version ends with a heroic hunter saving them.

In some versions of the story, Little Red Riding Hood is clever enough to escape the wolf herself, without the need for an outside hero.

Italian versions of the story often replace the wolf with a werewolf or even an ogre.

Interestingly, certain versions of Little Red Riding Hood had been banned in parts of the United States because they depict her carrying a bottle of wine for her grandmother.

In African retellings, or stories similar to Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf is usually replaced with a hyena.

For a fairy tale, the moral message of Little Red Riding Hood is more ambiguous than most of its counterparts, especially in the earlier versions. As a result, the story has been subject to many different interpretations and philosophical discussions.

French retellings often feature an ending where Little Red Riding Hood escapes death by lying to the wolf, saying she needs to use the bathroom.

In some Eastern European versions, Little Red Riding Hood is invited to play a game by the Big Bad Wolf, which distracts her before he attacks.

Famous author Charles Dickens criticized the Brothers Grimm version of the story, believing it stripped away the original tale’s cautionary warning.