Little Yellow Rowing Hood

Little Yellow Rowing Hood


October 19, 2003 (originally written in 1985)

Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, there lived a family called Hood. There was mother and father Hood and the most famous Little Red Riding Hood. But now I am going to tell the tale of her younger brother, Little Yellow Rowing Hood. He got his name from the yellow pullover sweatshirt granny made for him and from the rowboat grandpa built.

“Mommy, I’m going to Manhattan (granny and grandpa moved to the city, because every time granny saw a wolf she went crazy) to spend the weekend with grandpa.” Granny was running the National Convention for Grandmothers Who Were Eaten by Wolves and Survived.

“Okay son bring the brownies I baked for him and the nails your father forged in the shop,” said mom. “Bye, Mom, I’ll see you Sunday.”

“And don’t talk to strangers or stop off anywhere. Go straight to grandpa’s and if you see a wolf when you’re going to your boat, run! And have a nice time.”

So he left with his little dog, Harvey. He was walking though the woods killing ants and collecting wood for a project to build with grandpa. He was at the boat, putting in his belongings when all of a sudden a wolf popped out from a hole in the ground. “I am the wolf who ate your sister and I’ve come to eat you,” he said.

Little Yellow Rowing Hood threw a rock at him and missed. The wolf laughed, so he threw another one and hit the wolf. It charged at the frightened boy. The wolf was about to eat him, when all of a sudden a magical bear jumped out of the water. The bear magically transformed the wolf into a blade of grass. The boy, watched from behind a stone, fell in love with the bear. He went to the bear to thank him.

The bear said,” grr, are you all right?”

“Yes,” said the boy. The bear gave him a magic oar, a book and a ring. “I am Jingle, the magic bear of Narrowsburg. Always keep the book and ring. Use the oar in time of trouble. When you cross the lake, my brother will be there to escort you to the bus stop and wait with you. Goodbye.” They waved goodbye to each other.

Little Yellow Rowing Hood got in his boat and rowed along using the regular oar and the magic one. He thought to himself, “I wonder how it will help me.” He continued paddling. When he reached the other side he packed up his belongings and docked his boat.

As he was told, another bear greeted him.

“Hi, I am Big of Monticello, I will take you to the bus stop.” Little Yellow Rowing Hood talked to him as they walked through the woods to the bus stop.

While in the woods, a fox, a friend of the wolf ran after the two. Big quickly turned him into an acorn. They finally got to the bus stop. Big said goodbye to Little Yellow Rowing Hood. He gave him lunch for his wait after transferring buses.

He got on the bus and got his transfer ticket. It was a long ride. He thought to himself, “Gee, nobody would ever believe me about the bears and I better not tell mommy I talked to them.” The ride ended. He was at the stop waiting to get on the next bus. He sat down to eat his lunch. He threw out his lunch bag.

The next bus arrived and as he was boarding he realized he left his transfer in his lunch bag. The mean old bus driver yelled at him. “Come on you little creep you’re holding me up.” Little Yellow Rowing Hood looked for his bus pass, thinking he could use it. He couldn’t find that either.

Then he dropped the magic oar, which turned into four quarters. The driver was amazed and apologized to him. The ride seemed to take forever. He told the driver about the bears and the oar. The driver believed him.

He was already late and worried that his mommy called grandpa to see if he were there. He was running through the streets. He got near his grandparents apartment and knew of a shortcut through an old dirty alley.

“Mom always warned me about using this shortcut. But I must get there fast.” He ran through the alley as fast as he could because of the terrible stench. All of a sudden a large sewer rat approached him and said, “What’s in the knapsack?” The boy knew he was unlike the bears.

He ran, but the rat ran faster. The rat pulled off the knapsack with its teeth and found his grandfather’s address, which his mother has written into it in case the boy had to ask a police officer for directions. The boy cried and cried.

He read the book Jingle gave him. It said, if you get into trouble run to grandpa fast. He did. Upon arrival, he found that the rat had already gobbled up grandpa. He was hysterical. Then he heard the voice of the ring, “Put me on the tail of the rat.”

Little Yellow Rowing Hood followed the instructions. For about five minutes, nothing happened. Then the mouth of the rat opened and out walked grandpa. The rat disappeared.

The ring fell back on the boy’s finger. He told grandpa his story. Grandpa believed him and then they went out for ice cream.