Most of us learn about danger before we understand it.
Kids learn that there are things they're not supposed to touch, places they're not supposed to go, and people they're not supposed to talk to. They learn the rules before they understand them.
That may be part of why the old stories are so full of wolves.
In Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf sees a little girl alone in the woods. He knows something she doesn't. He's stronger than she is. The woods are bigger than she can comprehend, and he understands the world she's entering better than she does.
Growing up means learning that the world has real dangers. People can hurt us. We can hurt others. Desire can lead us to places we didn't plan to go. The people who love us won't always be around to protect us. Sometimes we make poor choices even after we're warned.
There's something scary and necessary about this knowledge. Spending our lives looking for wolves would be exhausting. But becoming someone who can recognize a wolf is important.
Maybe that's one reason these stories have lasted so long. They give children a way to imagine dangers they may not yet understand, and perhaps a little preparation for the ones they'll eventually encounter.