The Ancient Woman

The Ancient Woman waits always deep in the forest.
She is the one called Witch, Baba Yaga, Wise Old Woman.
She is the one you must find if you are to ever find your feminine power.
Yet many never find her.  The journey too traitorous.  The forest of illusion too dark.
Little Red Cap tried.  Allow me to tell you her story now.
Little Red Cap went into the forest.  She had no mother, no father, no sister nor brother to guide her.
She alone made the journey.  Why did she go?  To find the grandmother she had never met, the old wise woman, the one who would help her find her power.  All she had to go on was the tale that she existed and with her first bleeding, a window of unsettled curiosity opened that would not allow her to return to her world as she was.  What mystery there was in this feminine cycle. So bothersome embarrassing and painful. Yet the woods were dark and while she walked she realized how alone she was. 
Now as it happens in the dark places a wolf caught site of the girl in her red hooded cape.  This was no ordinary wolf but a sly watcher with a pencil thin, curled mustache.  He made his presence known as he needed information of how best to seduce her.  He asked "Little Red Cap where are you going?"  She was frightened and knew only to speak the truth and answered "I am going to find my grandmother's home".  His lip curled in a sly smile at her words for he knew what she searched for.  He remarked quickly "Oh yes of course.  An important task.  Allow me to let you pass." and disappeared into the trees. 
She was relieved and as she proceeded into the darkness of the forest her acute awarness took over and focused on her journey.  Now the wolf being the sly wolf that he was went quickly ahead and as he found a grandmother's house he entered and finding her sweet and plump ate her all up.  He took on her clothes and slipped under the covers of her fluffy bed and waited. 
It was many hours before Little Red Cap found the house and she was so excited to find it relatively quickly that she knocked on the door happily calling "Grandmother are you in there?"  The wolf called in a little granny voice "Yes dear I am in bed please enter".  She opened the door to the sweet cottage and went into the bedroom standing in front of the wolf.  "Oh grandmother I am so happy I have made it" she sighed in relief.  The wolf smiled his sly curled smile with his pencil thin mustache curled at the corners.  "Well take those wet clothes off and slip into this warm bed with me".  She looked at her clothes and they were quite soaked so it seemed logical to her to take them off and slip under the warm fluffy covers. 
Yet when she did her stomach turned and as she closed her eyes to try to relax she had a nervousness all through her.  She opened her eyes and looked at the wolf and he had the biggest ears she had ever seen.  Being an out spoken little girl she asked "Oh grandmother your ears are so large."  The wolf not particulerly worried with the question as he always had a way of talking himself out of riddles replied "Oh the better to hear with especially little girls like you".  The answer certainly did not make her feel better and as she looked she noticed the large eyes the wolf had.  "Oh grandmother what large eyes you have" she noticed speaking out loud.  "Oh the better to see with especially little girls like you" the wolf replied growing more irritated with her constant questioning.  He figured it was time to get the job done and eat this one so he could get some peace and quiet. 
But before he could Little Red Cap, following her body's sensations and said "I need to go outside to go pee."  The wolf surprised at her impertinance said "Oh no dear you mustent go outside.  It is dark and dangerous.  Stay safely here with me in my bed."  "But grandmother I just must go pee and if you want to make sure I will return let me unthread my Red Cap and tie a string to my ankle and I will surely return."  Little Red Cap was a girl that never gave up on what she wanted. 
The wolf had to oblige to such a request and when Little Red Cap got outside with the red thread tied around her ankle, she tied it to a tree and ran away.  Now she knew she would find the real Ancient Woman and it would be deep inside the very deapths of herself.  She never made that mistake again.