The first section of this study traces the history of the story of "Little Red Riding Hood," from its possible primitive origins, through its first publication in 1697, up to its current status. The second section analyzes the language of an interesting 1856 version of the tale and compares it with more modern versions. Table I indicates levels of reading difficulty for editions of the story according to Fry's readability technique. Table II presents a linguistic analysis of 16 of the 27 versions of the folktale. This analysis reveals that, from 1697 to 1974, sentences have become shorter, the use of complex and complex-compound sentences has decreased, and simple sentences have become more usual. Moreover, it suggests that the level of literary sophistication--evidenced by use of subplots, interior monologue, multiple morals, and imagery--has declined since the 1856 version. It further suggests that children be exposed to more and different kinds of literature during their formative years. (LL)