Have you heard about the spying scandal?

This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent on Sunday relates to the ongoing scandal over the bugging of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone by the US security services. (Click on the words in bold to read more about it and practise real English!)

The cartoon is based on the traditional children's fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood about a young girl who visits her grandmother, only to find she has been eaten by a Big Bad Wolf. In Schrank's version, the role of Little Red Riding Hood is played by Angela Merkel (note the mobile phone in her basket). The wolf is U.S. President Obama (note the listening equipment on his bedside table and the stars and stripes bedclothes). Merkel tells Obama (in a strong German accent), "Mr Präsident ... vat big ears you hef!" (Mr President ... what big ears you have).