> Can't remember who wrote this, but he's done a series of PC fairy tales. > > > There once was a young person named Little Red Riding Hood who lived on > the edge of a large forest full of endangered owls and rare plants that > would probably provide a cure for cancer if only someone took the time to > study them. > > Red Riding Hood lived with a nurture giver whom she sometimes referred to > as "mother", although she didn't mean to imply by this term that she would > have thought less of the person if a close biological link did not in fact > exist. Nor did she intend to denigrate the equal value of non-traditional > households, although she was sorry if this was the impression conveyed. > > One day her mother asked her to take a basket of organically grown fruit > and mineral water to her grandmother's house. > > "But mother, won't this be stealing work from the unionised people who > have struggled for years to earn the right to carry all packages between > various people in the woods?" > > Red Riding Hood's mother assured her that she had called the union boss > and gotten a special compassionate mission exemption form. > > "But mother, aren't you oppressing me by ordering me to do this?" > > Red Riding Hood's mother pointed out that it was impossible for women to > oppress each other, since all women were equally oppressed until all women > were free. > > "But mother, then shouldn't you have my brother carry the basket, since > he's an oppressor, and should learn what it's like to be oppressed?" > > And Red Riding Hood's mother explained that her brother was attending a > special rally for animal rights, and besides, this wasn't stereotypical > women's work, but an empowering deed that would help engender a feeling of > community. > > "But won't I be oppressing Grandma, by implying that she's sick and hence > unable to independently further her own selfhood?" > > But Red Riding Hood's mother explained that her grandmother wasn't > actually sick or incapacitated or mentally handicapped in any way, > although that was not to imply that any of these conditions were inferior > to what some people called "health". > > Thus Red Riding Hood felt that she could get behind the idea of delivering > the basket to her grandmother, and so she set off. > > Many people believed that the forest was a foreboding and dangerous place, > but Red Riding Hood knew that this was an irrational fear based on > cultural paradigms instilled by a patriarchal society that regarded the > natural world as an exploitable resource, and hence believed that natural > predators were in fact intolerable competitors. > > Other people avoided the woods for fear of thieves and deviants, but Red > Riding Hood felt that in a truly classless society all marginalized > peoples would be able to "come out" of the woods and be accepted as valid > lifestyle role models. > > On her way to Grandma's house, Red Riding Hood passed a woodchopper, and > wandered off the path, in order to examine some flowers. > > She was startled to find herself standing before a Wolf, who asked her > what was in her basket. > > Red Riding Hood's teacher had warned her never to talk to strangers, but > she was confident in taking control of her own budding sexuality, and > chose to dialogue with the Wolf. > > She replied, "I am taking my Grandmother some healthful snacks in a > gesture of solidarity." > > The Wolf said, "You know, my dear, it isn't safe for a little girl to walk > through these woods alone." > > Red Riding Hood said, "I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, > but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from > society, the stress of which has caused you to develop an alternative and > yet entirely valid worldview. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would prefer to > be on my way." > > Red Riding Hood returned to the main path, and proceeded towards her > Grandmother's house. > > But because his status outside society had freed him from slavish > adherence to linear, Western-style thought, the Wolf knew of a quicker > route to Grandma's house. > > He burst into the house and ate Grandma, a course of action affirmative of > his nature as a predator. > > Then, unhampered by rigid, traditionalist gender role notions, he put on > Grandma's night-clothes, crawled under the bedclothes, and awaited > developments . > > Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and said, "Grandma, I have brought you > some cruelty free snacks to salute you in your role of wise and nurturing > matriarch." > > The Wolf said softly "Come closer, child, so that I might see you" > > Red Riding Hood said, "Goodness! Grandma, what big eyes you have!" > > "You forget that I am optically challenged." > > "And Grandma, what an enormous, what a fine nose you have." > > "Naturally, I could have had it fixed to help my acting career, but I > didn't give in to such societal pressures, my child." > > "And Grandma, what very big, sharp teeth you have!" > > The Wolf could not take any more of these specist slurs, and, in a > reaction appropriate for his accustomed milieu, he leaped out of bed, > grabbed Little Red Riding Hood, and opened his jaws so wide that she could > see her poor Grandmother cowering in his belly. > > "Aren't you forgetting something?" Red Riding Hood bravely shouted. "You > must request my permission before proceeding to a new level of intimacy!" > > The Wolf was so startled by this statement that he loosened his grasp on > her. At the same time, the woodchopper burst into the cottage, brandishing > an axe. > > "Hands off!" cried the woodchopper. > > "And what do you think you're doing?" cried Little Red Riding Hood. "If I > let you help me now, I would be expressing a lack of confidence in my own > abilities, which would lead to poor self esteem and lower achievement > scores on college entrance exams." > > "Last chance, sister! Get your hands off that endangered species! This is > an FBI sting!" screamed the woodchopper, and when Little Red Riding Hood > nonetheless made a sudden motion, he sliced off her head. > > "Thank goodness you got here in time," said the Wolf. "The brat and her > grandmother lured me in here. I thought I was a goner." > > "No, I think I'm the real victim, here," said the woodchopper. "I've been > dealing with my anger ever since I saw her picking those protected flowers > earlier. And now I'm going to have such a trauma. Do you have any > aspirin?" > > "Sure," said the Wolf. > > "Thanks." > > "I feel your pain," said the Wolf, and he patted the woodchopper on his > firm, well padded back, gave a little belch, and said "Do you have any > Maalox?" > > >