Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time there was a mother Sow who lived in an old barn with her three little Pigs. When the little pigs were old enough to be on their own, she sent them out to seek their fortune.The first little pig that went off met a Man with a bundle of straw, and said to him, "Please, Man, give me that straw to build me a house"; which the Man did, and the little Pig built a house with it. Presently came along a Wolf, and knocked at the door, and said, "Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in."
To which the Pig answered, "No, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" said the Wolf. So he huffed and he puffed, and he blew his house in. The first little Pig barely escaped the hungry wolf, and ran as fast as he could back to the safety of the old barn and his mother Sow.
The second Pig met a Man with a bundle of sticks, and said, "Please, Man, give me those sticks to build a house"; which the Man did, and the Pig built his house.

Then along came the Wolf and said, "Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in."

"No, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll puff and I'll huff, and I'll blow your house in!" So he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down. The second little Pig barely escaped the hungry Wolf, and ran as fast as he could back to the safety of the old barn and his mother Sow. Although the Sow was happy to see her little Pigs safe, she was disappointed that they had returned so soon after trying to make it on their own.

The third little Pig met a Man with a load of bricks, and said, "Please, Man, give me those bricks to build a house with"; so the Man gave him the bricks, and he built a strong sturdy house with them.The Wolf came, as he did to the other little Pigs. Having just missed catching the first and second little Pigs, the Wolf was by now very, very, hungry. "I'll catch and eat up this third Pig for sure" he declared.So the Wolf said, "Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in."

"No, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."

Well, he huffed and he puffed, and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed; but he could not blow the strong brick house down.  When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he decided to trick the little Pig. He said, "Little Pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips."

"Where?" said the little Pig.

"Oh, in Mr. Smith's home-field; and if you will be ready tomorrow morning, I will call for you, and we will go together and get some for dinner."

"Very well," said the little Pig, "I will be ready. What time do you mean to go?"

"Oh, at six o'clock."

Well, the little Pig got up at five, and ran off on his own to get the turnips.
The little Pig worked fast, and returned home with a big bag of  turnips well before six o'clock.

When the Wolf came, promptly at six o'clock,  he said, "Little Pig, are you ready?"

"Ready?" asked the little Pig, "I have been and come back again, and got a nice big bag full! I'm cooking some now for my breakfast."

The Wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would get the little Pig somehow or other; so he said, "Little Pig, I know where there is a nice apple-tree."Where is this apple tree?" said the Pig.

"Down at Merry-garden," replied the Wolf; "and if you will not deceive me I will come for you, at five o'clock to-morrow, and we will go together and get some apples."

The little Pig went to bed early that night, and got up at four o'clock the next morning.
Well, the little Pig bustled up, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the Wolf came; but the Wolf was learning and came early. At half past four o'clock, just as he was coming down from the apple tree, the little Pig saw the Wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much. When the Wolf came up he said, "Little Pig, what! are you here before me? Are they nice apples?"

"Yes, very," said the little Pig; "These are the best apples I have ever tasted. You must try them. I will throw one down to you." And he threw it as far as he could, into a stream at the bottom of the hill. While the Wolf ran hungrily after the apple and worked to fish it out of the stream, the little Pig jumped down and ran home with a big bag of apples.When the Wolf emerged from the stream, he saw that the little Pig had left. Now the Wolf was very angry, as well as being cold and wet. He was more determined than ever to catch the little Pig and eat him up.The next day the Wolf came again, and said to the little Pig, "Little Pig, there is a Fair in the Town this afternoon: will you go?"

"Oh, yes," said the Pig, "I will go; what time shall you be ready?"

"At three," said the Wolf.

So the little Pig went off before the time, as usual, and got to the Fair, and had a fun time on the rides.At the fair the little pig bought a butter churn, and was on his way home with it when he saw the Wolf coming. Then he could not tell what to do. So he got into the churn to hide, and in doing so turned it round, and it began to roll, and rolled down the hill with the Pig inside it, which frightened the Wolf so much that he ran home without going to the Fair.The next day, the Wolf went to the little Pig's house and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him.

Then the little Pig said, "Hah! I frightened you, did I? I had been to the Fair and bought a butter churn, and when I saw you I got into it, and rolled down the hill."

Then the Wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the little Pig right that minute, even if he had to get down the chimney to catch him.When the little Pig saw what the Wolf was doing, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the Wolf was coming down, took off the cover of the pot, and said "Try to eat me will you? How would you like it if I cook and eat you up!?"
The Wolf hit the scalding water and let out a great yell. He scampered quickly back up the chimney and ran as fast as he could back the safety of the old den in the woods with his Then the third little Pig had a nice big supper of turnips and apples.The first and second little Pigs followed their brother's example and built strong new houses out of brick.

The Wolf never bothered them again, and they all lived happy ever after.

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