the three little pigs essay

A Summary and Analysis of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ Fairy Tale

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

The anonymous fable or fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs is one of those classic anonymous tales which we hear, and have read to us, when we are very young. The fable contains many common features associated with the fairy tale, but there are some surprises when we delve into the history of this well-known story. Let us begin with a summary of the Three Little Pigs tale before proceeding to an analysis of its meaning and origins.

The Three Little Pigs: plot summary

First, a brief summary of the tale as it’s usually told. An old sow has three pigs, her beloved children, but she cannot support them, so she sends them out into the world to make their fortune. The first (and oldest) pig meets a man carrying a bundle of straw, and politely asks if he might have it to build a house from. The man agrees, and the pig builds his house of straw. But a passing wolf smells the pig inside the house.

He knocks at the door (how you can ‘knock’ at a door made of straw is a detail we’ll gloss over for now), and says: ‘Little pig! Little pig! Let me in! Let me in!’

The pig can see the wolf’s paws through the keyhole (yes, there’s a keyhole in this straw door), so he responds: ‘No! No! No! By the hair on my chinny chin chin!’

The wolf bares his teeth and says: ‘Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down.’

He does as he’s threatened to do, blows the house down, and gobbles up the pig before strolling on.

The second of the three little pigs, meanwhile, has met a man with a bundle of sticks, and has had the same idea as his (erstwhile) brother. The man gives him the sticks and he makes a house out of them. The wolf is walking by, smells the pig inside his house made of sticks, and he knocks at the door (can you ‘knock’ at a door made of sticks?), and says: ‘Little pig! Little pig! Let me in! Let me in!’

The pig can see the wolf’s ears through the keyhole (how can there – oh, forget it), so he responds: ‘No! No! No! By the hair on my chinny chin chin!’

Now, the final of the three little pigs – and the last surviving one – had met a man with a pile of bricks, and had had the same idea as his former siblings, and the man had kindly given him the bricks to fashion a house from. Now, you can guess where this is going.

The wolf is passing, and sees the brick house, and smells the pig inside it. He knocks at the door (no problem here), and says: ‘Little pig! Little pig! Let me in! Let me in!’

The pig can see the wolf’s great big eyes through the keyhole, so he responds: ‘No! No! No! By the hair on my chinny chin chin!’

So the wolf huffs and puffs and huffs and puffs and huffs and puffs and keeps huffing and puffing till he’s out of puff. And he hasn’t managed to blow the pig’s house down! He thinks for a moment, and then tells the little pig that he knows a field where there are some nice turnips for the taking. He tells the pig where the field is and says he will come round at six o’clock the next morning and take him there.

But the little pig is too shrewd, so the next morning he rises at five o’clock, goes to the field, digs up some turnips and takes them back to his brick house. By the time the wolf knocks for him at six, he is already munching on the turnips.

He tells the wolf he has already been and got them. The wolf is annoyed, but he comes up with another plan, and tells the wolf that he knows of some juicy apples on a tree in a nearby garden, and says he will knock for the pig the next morning at five o’clock and personally show him where they are.

The little pig agrees, but rises the next morning before four o’clock, and goes to the garden to pick some apples. But the wolf has been fooled once and isn’t about to be fooled twice, so he heads to the apple tree before five and catches the pig up the tree with a basket of apples.

The pig manages to escape by throwing the wolf an apple to eat, but throwing it so far away that by the time the wolf has fetched it and returned, the little pig has escaped with his basket and gone home to his brick house.

The wolf tries one final time. He invites the little pig to the fair with him the next day, and the pig agrees; but he heads to the fair early on, buys a butter churn, and is returning home when he sees the big bad wolf on the warpath, incandescent with rage at having been thwarted a third time.

So the pig hides in the butter churn and ends up rolling down the hill towards the wolf. The pig squeals in fear as he rolls, and the sound of the squealing and the speed of the churn rolling towards him terrifies the wolf, and he tucks tail and runs away.

The next day, the wolf shows up at the little pig’s house, to apologise for not accompanying him to the fair the day before. He tells the pig that a loud, scary thing was rolling down a hill towards him. When the pig tells him that it must have been him inside the butter churn, the wolf loses his patience, and climbs on the roof, determined to climb down the chimney into the little pig’s house and eat him.

But the pig has a pot of water boiling under the chimney, and when the wolf drops down into the house, he plops straight into the boiling hot water. The little pig puts the lid on the pot and cooks the wolf and then eats him for supper!

The Three Little Pigs: analysis

We all know these essential features of the story: the three little pigs, the big bad wolf. Yet neither of these is an essential feature of the story, or hasn’t been at some point or other in the fable’s history.

In one version – the earliest published version, from English Forests and Forest Trees, Historical, Legendary, and Descriptive (1853) – the little pigs were actually little pixies, and the wolf was a fox; the three houses were made of wood, stone, and iron. In another version, the Big Bad Wolf was actually a Big Kind Wolf. In at least one telling, the middle pig builds his house out of furze (i.e. gorse, a kind of shrub) rather than sticks.

As the Writing in Margins blog observes, an 1877 article published in Lippincott’s detailing folklore of African Americans in the southern United States outlines a story involving seven little pigs, which contains many of the details we associate with the Three Little Pigs tale, including the chimney-fire-pot finale and the chinny-chin-chinning.

Joel Chandler Harris’ 1883 collection Nights with Uncle Remus contains a similar tale (featuring six pigs rather than three), suggesting that the tale was part of African-American folklore in the nineteenth century. Was the tale related to race relations in the United States during the antebellum (and immediate postbellum) era?

Perhaps, although it’s worth noting there were also Italian versions of the tale in circulation around the same time (with three geese rather than three pigs). The definitive English version – with all of the features of the story outlined in the plot summary above – appears to have made its debut in print only in 1886, in James Orchard Halliwell’s Nursery Rhymes of England .

This was a sort of hybrid version of the various tellings of the story in circulation, incorporating aspects of the Italian, African-American, and English versions. We recommend the Writing in Margins post linked to above for more information on the evolution of the story.

Among other fascinating insights, the author suggests that the ‘pixies’ version of the tale arose from a mishearing of the Devon dialect word for pig, ‘pigsie’, as ‘pixie’. Certainly, no other version of the Three Little Pigs contains pixies, and the pixies in the story behave unlike the pixies found in other stories from English folklore.

1886 is rather late for the tale (as we now know it) to be making its debut in print. It feels much older, especially since it contains so many features we commonly associate with fairy tales and children’s stories.

Indeed, it’s thought that the story is considerably older, and was perhaps circulated orally before it finally made its way into published books. Certainly, despite these slight differences between disparate versions of the tale, the raw narrative elements are those we are used to finding in fairy tales.

The rule of three – a common plot feature in classic fairy tales – is there several times over in the fable of the Three Little Pigs. There are three little pigs; there are three houses; the wolf tries to trick the last of the three pigs three times.

In each case, the third instance acts as the decisive one: the first two pigs are eaten, but the third survives; the first two houses are insufficient to withstand the wolf, but the third is able to; and the third trick played by the wolf proves his ultimate undoing, since it is the last straw (no pun intended) which makes him erupt in rage and go on the offensive, with devastating consequences (for him).

This helps to build a sense of narrative tension, even if we suspect we know where the tale is going. And of course, there is a delicious irony (delicious in more than one sense) in the pig eating the wolf at the end of the fable, rather than vice versa.

But if fables are meant to have a moral message to impart, what is the meaning of the Three Little Pigs tale? In the last analysis, it seems to be that plucky resourcefulness and careful planning pay off, and help to protect us from harm. There’s also a degree of self-sufficiency: the mother cannot look after the three little pigs, so they must stand on their own two (or four) feet and make their own way in the world. (This is another popular narrative device in fairy tales: the hero must absent themselves from home early on and go out into the world alone.)

Of course, the third little pig survives not just by standing on his own feet but by thinking on his feet, too: it’s his quick thinking that enables him to outwit the wolf, himself not exactly a simpleton, even if he isn’t the sharpest straw in the hay-bale.

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8 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ Fairy Tale”

I didn’t know the last three conversations the wolf had with the third pig. It does rather complicate matters but thanks for the information.

Wonderful analysis. As a child, I do remember being afraid of the big bad wolf. He’s permeated our society, hasn’t he?

Thanks or no thanks to tales such as “The Three Little Pigs” and “Little Red Riding Hood”, many people have come to fear wolves. Wolves are rarely harmful to humans, but humans have certainly harmed and are still harming wolves.

Have you read Magnus Chase?

I was metaphorically replying to the fairly tale. The big bad wolves we have in society have two legs and can definitely blow your house down.

I think the approach of the main critique is misguided. Folk tales work on a subliminal level and their logic is not the logic of every day. It’s for this reason that so many folk legends provide a basis for creative literature.

Which part is misguided, Brian? I agree that folk tales largely work on a subliminal level, but which part of the story’s ‘logic’ have we misinterpreted?

I very interesting critique. I have never come across the second half – which feels more like a fable within a fable to me. The version I grew with has the wolf fail to blow down the third house and climbing immediately up to the roof to get in through the chimney, meeting his inevitable end. It actually makes a lot more sense that way I think as the wolf is determined to eat that pig right away!

I have no textual evidence to support this but I can’t help but feel the origin of the fable must come from the biblical parable of the wise and foolish men building their houses upon the sand or rock. There’s too much of a coincidence with house-building, materials and the explicit or implicit wise and foolishness. Perhaps the Three Little Pigs was an attempt to expand the story and make it more accessible for children? I could easily imagine the story arising out of a Sunday School class. As I say, I have justification for this – just a hunch!

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The Colorful Story of the Three Little Pigs Essay (Book Review)

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

James Halliwell Philipps

The colorful story of the three little pigs, why james halliwell philipp’s wrote the story.

This paper will focus its attention on James Halliwell Philipp’s short story, “The Three Little Pigs” and the main theme behind the story. The author James Halliwell is famous for writing fairy tales which have been used as nursery tales and nursery rhymes. Further, this paper will analyze James Halliwell as an author and an antiquarian researcher in literature.

This fairy story features or rather is dominated by anthromorphic animals. This paper will also feature eight different editors who have been interested in the story since its first publication. These authors have each analyzed and given different views and opinions regarding the story of the three little pigs.

This story is of great interest to the western culture because of the great morals it possess as demonstrated by the phrases used throughout the entire piece. Just like James Halliwell, the subsequent retellings present the story in the first person narrator. This is done by the wolf to portray the misunderstanding between him and the little pigs. This story is told to inspire people to work hard so as to achieve success.

He was born James Orchard Halliwell-Philipps on the 21 st June, 1820 to Thomas Halliwell. James was educated at the Jesus College in Cambridge where he took interest in English literature which was under the antiquarian research. As he grew, he became an “English Shakespearean scholar” as well as “English Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales” collector.

His literature work began at 19 years and was dominated by textual criticism. He gave up the textual criticism in 1870 to concentrate on Shakespeare’s life. In 1872, James Halliwell assumed the name Philipps to honor the will of his first wife’s grandfather.

From this time, Halliwell-Philipps took interest and were actively involved in editing literature related to the Percy Society, the Camden Society, and the Shakespeare society. His house was full of strange and rare work which he donated to libraries, institutions, and universities.

The story outline is the tale of three pigs with a duty to build a home. The story actually opens with the mother of these title characters sending them to “seek out their fortune.” The first pig takes little time at this thus builds a house out of straw so as to have extra time relaxing and playing outside.

The second pig values relaxation just like the first one and as a result, uses sticks to build a home. Although he takes a lot of time doing this, he hurries to link up with his lazy friend for play and relaxation.

The third pig is quite thoughtful therefore chooses to build a home out of bricks. This task requires him to put a lot of effort and use extra time to have the best results. Instead of taking time to play and relax with the other two, he seems to value a proper home.

His effort pays off when the “Big Bad Wolf” visits their homes and tries to trick them out of their homes. He three pigs outsmart the wolf thus he resolves to use force to enter. The third pig’s house is the only one which stands up to the wolf’s pressure.

Three little pigs is a fairy tale that was written by James Halliwell in the year 1849. On its first publication, the story appeared in the book, “Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales.” It is not quite clear whether James Halliwell was the original author of the story or he had passed it from another. Through the phrases used in this story, the reader can draw a variety of morals. As a result, the story has become popular in the western culture.

The main moral behind this story or rather the reason why James Halliwell Philipps wrote this story was to inspire the readers to work hard in everything they do so as to achieve success or favorable outcomes.

All the same, the reader can tell the primary moral lesson as that working hard and dedication to whatever one does actually pays off. With reference to the story, the reader can see that, the first two pigs had built their homes in a hurry so as to have more time to play.

The third pig had labored hard while constructing his house of bricks. When these a comparison is done between these three, it is clear that hard work brings about success with the third little pig’s house lasting long.

This educates the readers by showing them that, taking time and extra effort while performing tasks could bear them favorable and successful outcomes. Today, many organizations, parents, and teachers encourage their subjects to take extra time and put more effort in whatever undertaking so as to achieve the best results.

This story of the three little pigs has been used in many contexts to encourage people. During the Great Depression, Walt Disney released a short film which inspired many people to get through the frustrations of the era. The bad wolf was used to symbolize the Americans strife while the three little pigs symbolized victory.

With the inspiration derived from the three little pigs’ tale, the people knew for sure they will get out of the depression through hard work.

The modern day story done by Joseph Jacobs has little modifications so as to appeal to the young people. The original story explains that, the bad wolf landed in the boiling pot and died while the today’s version shows that the wolf came down the chimney and only burned his tail.

In his work, Alley Zoe tells the story of three little pigs who are sent by their mother to seek out their fortune. The little pigs travel to foreign land and each has to build his own home. The first pig builds a house made of straw since he is lazy and loves playing and relaxing. The second little pig builds a house out of sticks so that he can have more time to relax and play as well.

The third little pig who is clever builds a home out of bricks. One day, a fox visits the first little pig and destroys the straw house and eats the little pig. The following day he destroys the second little pig’s house and eats him as well.

When he visits the clever pig’s house, he tries all sorts of tricks but his plans are spoiled over and over. This angers him and resolves to enter the little pig’s house through the chimney oblivious of the boiling pot beneath. All of a sudden, the fox lands in the boiling pot and the little pig eats him for supper.

Ashliman’s work is a reprint of Jacobs and Lang’s versions of the “Three Little Pigs.” Ashliman relates the story of “The Three Goslings” with the tale of “The Three Little Pigs.” Ashliman tells the story of three goslings whereby two are selfish and will not allow the younger sister to share their home.

The author shows how each gosling builds a home. The two selfish sisters build unstable homes while the young one who is clever constructs the best house. A fox comes along and swallows the two selfish sisters. The third sister hurries to rescue her sisters by cutting open the fox’s stomach. The two goslings ask for forgiveness and the three live in the young gosling’s home happily.

This new version by Dallimore, the story of three little bush pigs is told. Each bush pig tries to build a house to protect them from the old dingrel. The first pig builds a house of “prickly pear,” the second builds a house of “weetabrix boxes,” and the third clever pig builds a house that can withstand the pressure of the dingrel. In the end, the little bush pigs report the dingrel to the Shire Council who take care of it.

In his version, Graham tells the tale of three little pigs who live with their mother. When they grow older, the mother tells them to move out and build their own homes and keep watch on the Big Bad Wolf. The three little pigs travel together down the road and come across a man with a cart of straws. The first little pig asks the man to sell him the straws so that he can build a house and still spare some money to buy junk food.

Upon seeing a man with a cart of sticks, the second pig asks to buy them and build a house out of them. The man advises both the first and the second little pigs that straw and sticks cannot make a strong house although it is cheap. The third little pig meets a man with a cart full of bricks and buys them to build his house. When the Big Bad Wolf visits the first and second little pigs, he destroys their unstable houses but luckily they run to their brother’s house.

The Wolf follows them to the brick house and tries to trick them severally with no luck. The wolf decides to climb down the chimney so as to reach the little pigs. The pigs keep a boiling pot of water under the chimney such that when the wolf comes down he lands on the water and climbs back howling in pain. The wolf howls down the road and the little pigs live happily ever after.

In his book Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales, Halliwell tells the story of three little pigs who were sent by their mother to find their own fortune. Halliwell narrates how the first little pig begs a man to offer him straw so that he can put up his house. The man offers the little pig the straw with which he proceeds to build a house in hurry so as to have extra time for relaxation and play.

Halliwell goes on to illustrate how a big and bad wolf comes to the little pig’s house and breaks in to eat him up for the house cannot stand the wolf’s pressure. The author continues to demonstrate to the reader how the second pig meets a man who offers him “a bundle of furze” to build himself a house. In a hurry, the second little pig builds an unstable house so as to have extra play and relaxation time.

The author clearly demonstrates to the reader the consequences of a badly done work when the Big Bad Wolf comes knocking. The wolf huffs and puffs and in the end blows the little pig’s house down and eats him up. Halliwell proceeds to show the reader how the third little pig meets a man and asks for his bricks to build a house with.

Without hesitating the man offers the little pig the bricks with which he constructs a firm house with. When the wolf comes knocking and the little pig declines letting him in, he huffs and puffs but is not able to bring the house down. The author demonstrates the cunning character of the wolf by telling the little pig he knows where to find nice turnips.

The little pig agrees to accompany the wolf to Mr. Smith’s field to collect turnip the following day. The pig is depicted as clever for he leaves earlier to fetch the turnips an action which pisses the wolf. The wolf is seen to try every trick to get to eat the wolf but the little pig outsmarts him. In the end, the wolf is seen to declare eating the little pig by getting down the chimney since he cannot bring down the brick house.

The writer shows the reader how the little pig makes up a big fire and hangs a pot full of water such that when the wolf comes down the chimney, he lands on the boiling water. The wolf is boiled and offers the little pig a huge feast that evening.

Hook Williams tells the story of three little pigs living with their old mother whom after her death travel to find their own homes. The first pig builds a house out of straw while the second builds a house out of sticks. The third clever little pig builds his house out of bricks. When the fox comes, he destroys the houses of the first and second pig. The two pigs run to the safety of their brother’s brick house where they burn old fox in a boiling pot of water.

In the book “The Story of the Three Little Pigs,” Jacobs notes the relation between this tale and the story “Wolf and Seven Little Kids.” He observes that kids have “hair on their chinny chin-chins” and not the pigs. In his work, Jacobs tells the tale of three little pigs that are sent by their mother to seek their fortune.

Jacobs illustrates how the little pigs have different thinking capacities. The first pig builds a home out of straw such that when the Big Bad Wolf visits, he blows the house down and eats the little pig. Just like the first pig, the second little pig values relaxation and as a result builds a house out of sticks. When the wolf comes along, he huffs and puffs the house down and eats the little pig. Jacobs demonstrates the third little pig as clever for he builds a house out of bricks.

When the wolf visits, he realizes that he cannot blow the house down and resolves to trick the little pig who outsmarts him anyway. After trying without success, the wolf decides to go down the chimney so as to eat the little pig. Jacobs captures the reader’s attention through the dramatic out turn of events; the wolf lands in a pot of boiling water and the little pig eats him for supper.

In his version, Lang tells the story of a sow that lives with her three children o n a “large, comfortable, old-fashioned farmyard.” The pigs are named Browny, Whitey, and the youngest Blacky. Lang illustrates Browny as naughty who does not listen to his mother’s or friends pleas.

Browny loves to play and roll in the mud. The author depicts whitey as clever but greedy; he thoughts linger around food. Whitey is seen to always look forward to dinner and when the food is poured she fights both Browny and Blacky so as to get the bigger pieces. Just like he mother warns Browny about being naughty, she warns Whitey about her selfish and greedy character.

Lang illustrates Blacky as good natured with no characters of both Browny and Whitey. Lang says “he had nice dainty ways…his skin was always smooth and shining.” Blacky is seen as the cleverest of the three and as a result their mother was proud of him.

The author shows a time when the mother of the three becomes old and feeble therefore calls his three piglets with an offer to build each a house. Browny prefers a house made of mud while Whitey prefers a cabbage house while Blacky prefers a house that is built with brick. Their mother applauds Blacky for being sensible especially with the fox being their worst enemy. Lang tells how the pigs move to their houses after their mother’s death.

Browny is seen to enjoy rolling in his mud house until the day fox comes to visit. Browny does not let the fox in but with the use of his paws, he digs up a hole and gets his way in. The fox grabs Browny by the neck and heads to his den for a feast. The following day, the fox is seen visiting Whitey who is enjoying a meal of cabbage. Whitey refuses to hear fox’s pleas to let him in; all the same the fox being sly eat his way to Whitey and took him to his house.

The next day, the fox heads to Blacky’s house to try his luck. He tries all sorts of tricks but Blacky outsmarts him. For he does not give up, the fox goes up the chimney without realizing that Blacky has put a large kettle on the fire. The fox lands on the boiling water and dies instantly while Blacky rushes to the den to rescue both Browny and Blacky. The three are re-united and live with Blacky in his brick house happily ever after.

Alley, Z. (2008). There’s a Wolf at the Door . Illus. R W. Alley. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Ashliman, D. (1987). A Guide to Folktales in the English Language . New York: Greenwood Press.

Dallimore, P. (2008). The Three Little Bush Pigs. Aussie Gems. Malvern, S. Australia: Omnibus Books

Graham, A. (2000). Fairytale in the Ancient World . London: Routledge.

Halliwell, J. (1849). Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tale s. London: John Russell Smith.

Hooks, W. (1989). The Three Little Pigs and the Fox . New York: Aladdin.

Jacobs, J. (1890). The Story of the Three Little Pigs: English Fairy Tales. London: David Nutt, 1890.

Lang, A. (1965). The Green Fairy Book. New York: Dover.

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Comprehension on THE THREE LITTLE PIGS #

Each of the versions of a common fairy tale is written with a different purpose, to a different audience and uses distinctive linguistic features.  Read them carefully and analyse them.

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

Once upon a time there were three little pigs who lived with their mommy and daddy in a nice little house. One day, poppa piggy told the three little pigs that it was time to leave home and make their own way in the world.

The youngest little pig built a house of straw because it was cheap and easy to build.  The second little pig gathered sticks and built a stronger house. The third little pig decided to go the whole hog and build a big house of solid brick

A big bad wolf came along and seeing the house of straw came to the door and called out “Little Pig, Little Pig let me in or by the hair of my chinney chin chin, I’ huff and I’ll puff until I blow your house in.”

When the first little piggy didn’t open the door, the wolf did huff and puff until the house of straw caved in and the little pig was eaten by the wolf

A few days later as hunger pangs drove the wolf to door of the second pig, he again called out, “little pig, little pig, let me in or by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I’ll huff and I’ll puff until I blow your house in.”

The second pig also refused to open the door so after a considerable amount of huffing and puffing, the house of sticks caved in as well and the second pig was devoured too.

After a week the wolf’s hunger pangs returned and the wolf came to the door of the third wolf and again called out “Little pig, little pig, let me in or by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I’ll huff and I’ll puff until I blow your house in.”

When the pig refused to open the door, the wolf huffed and puffed but because the house was solidly built, he was unable to blow the house in. As brute force was not working, the wolf tried to trick the pig into getting into the house, but the pig was too clever to be sucked in easily. When he had exhausted all methods of getting in, the wolf eventually climbed onto the roof and tried to get in through the chimney. The third pig, anticipating the wolf’s plan, prepared a hot tub of boiling water in the fire place for the wolf to fall into. The wolf was badly scalded and died of the pain. The pig invited all his friends to celebrate his victory over the evil wolf and lived happily ever after.

Identify the passage above and comment on its:

Text Type ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Audience …………………………………………………………………………………………….. .

**Purpose **………………………………………………………………………………………………

Language Features and Level ………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

• At a particular point in history there were three diminutive members of the porcine family who were domiciled with their aging progenitors in a well constructed sty. One day, the paternal sire (boar) and the maternal sow advised the three offspring that it was time to vacate their home and forge their own way in the world.

Identify  the passage above and comment on its:

• When they had reached the precise age of 1 year the three members of the aforesaid porcine clan departed their ancestral domicile for fields of their own. The party of the first part elected to construct a shelter of renewable material easily accessible, the stalks of organic grains. The party of the second and third part each chose alternate building materials. The situation only became complicated when the respondent, a predator arrived on the scene.
• Whenever I read the story about the three little pigs I get overwhelmed with grief for the poor little creatures who have to make their way in this cruel insensitive world. The defenceless young are easy prey for the unscrupulous predators of the adult world who shamelessly and ruthlessly take advantage of their innocence and naiveté.
• The account of the triad Artiodactyls  Mammalian’s encounter with a member of the Canes Lupus species stretches the imagination and is highly unscientific, it is highly implausible that porcine creatures would find a house a satisfactory domicile as recent scientific surveys indicate that 97.5% of them prefer the common sty.

Another dubious aspect of this fanciful tale is their ability to articulate their thoughts. Extensive research indicates animals have a limitation to monosyllables. Further experiments conducted at the University of Octavia have conclusively demonstrated that members of the Lupus species can only exhale air at the volume and pressure of 3.2 kg/sq. Meter, hardly sufficient to demolish any construction.

Finally most tests have concluded that wolves, weighing between 27 —42 kg. can easily outrun fat greedy little pigs.

So we can surmise that the story colloquially known as the “Three Little Pigs” is a highly fictionalised account of an improbable event.

• The story known as the “Three Little Pigs” is really a thinly disguised piece of advertising. It is a highly exaggerated form of propaganda sponsored by Clarke Bricks to convince the general populace that Bricks are the only viable form of house construction.

In an imaginative and manipulative way the narrative compares three scenarios where each pig chooses a particular building material, straw, sticks and bricks. The choices are not realistic as there are many other viable alternatives to brick that are not even considered creating an uneven playing field

• I arrived on the scene at precisely 7:13 am to discover an area of complete disaster; building material strewn about, blood smeared on the grounds and bits of skin and bone scattered about what had originally been the floor of a house. Witnesses reported having heard shouting and a loud blowing noise at about 6:30 that morning. One, a Mr Gene Harradine, said he had noticed a hairy creature lurking around the door when he went for his early morning walk. Investigations are continuing
• The literary piece about three members of the animal kingdom embarking on their life’s journey has wider implications than at first apparent. It is a tale that has significance beyond its simplicity.

For many young people the transition from the comfort and security of the family home to forging their own destiny can be a trying and traumatic experience. Not enough research has been conducted into how we can make this precipitous change a smoother and less damaging one. Everyone appreciates the need for young people to become more self-reliant and independent, but at what price? Is there not a more humane manner in which we can gradually support young people to learn to stand on their own feet and not become victims to the number of rapacious grasping predators in the corporate world who exploit their vulnerability

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The Three Little Pigs

The first little pig was very lazy. He didn't want to work at all and he built his house out of straw. The second little pig worked a little bit harder but he was somewhat lazy too and he built his house out of sticks. Then, they sang and danced and played together the rest of the day.

The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks. It was a sturdy house complete with a fine fireplace and chimney. It looked like it could withstand the strongest winds.

The next day, a wolf happened to pass by the lane where the three little pigs lived; and he saw the straw house, and he smelled the pig inside. He thought the pig would make a mighty fine meal and his mouth began to water.

So he knocked on the door and said:

But the little pig saw the wolf's big paws through the keyhole, so he answered back:

So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! The wolf opened his jaws very wide and bit down as hard as he could, but the first little pig escaped and ran away to hide with the second little pig.

The wolf continued down the lane and he passed by the second house made of sticks; and he saw the house, and he smelled the pigs inside, and his mouth began to water as he thought about the fine dinner they would make.

But the little pigs saw the wolf's pointy ears through the keyhole, so they answered back:

So the wolf showed his teeth and said:

So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down! The wolf was greedy and he tried to catch both pigs at once, but he was too greedy and got neither! His big jaws clamped down on nothing but air and the two little pigs scrambled away as fast as their little hooves would carry them.

The wolf chased them down the lane and he almost caught them. But they made it to the brick house and slammed the door closed before the wolf could catch them. The three little pigs they were very frightened, they knew the wolf wanted to eat them. And that was very, very true. The wolf hadn't eaten all day and he had worked up a large appetite chasing the pigs around and now he could smell all three of them inside and he knew that the three little pigs would make a lovely feast.

So the wolf knocked on the door and said:

But the little pigs saw the wolf's narrow eyes through the keyhole, so they answered back:

Well! he huffed and he puffed. He puffed and he huffed. And he huffed, huffed, and he puffed, puffed; but he could not blow the house down. At last, he was so out of breath that he couldn't huff and he couldn't puff anymore. So he stopped to rest and thought a bit.

But this was too much. The wolf danced about with rage and swore he would come down the chimney and eat up the little pig for his supper. But while he was climbing on to the roof the little pig made up a blazing fire and put on a big pot full of water to boil. Then, just as the wolf was coming down the chimney, the little piggy pulled off the lid, and plop! in fell the wolf into the scalding water.

So the little piggy put on the cover again, boiled the wolf up, and the three little pigs ate him for supper.

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Moral Lessons

Plot summary, walt disney and the great depression, child-friendly adaptation, what is the moral lesson of "the three little pigs".

The fairy tale story of the three little pigs has made its way into popular culture. Originally a tale written in England, it became extremely popular in the United States with Walt Disney's adaption of the tale. ​ The moral of the story has inspired generations to work hard for success, with the hope that the hard work will eventually lead to favorable outcomes. ​

​ The primary moral lesson learned from "The Three Little Pigs" is that ​hard work and dedication pay off. ​ While the first two pigs quickly built houses of straw and had more free time to play, the third pig labored in the construction of his house of bricks. Compared to the other two pigs, the third pig's extra effort paid off in that his home lasted. The idea that taking the time to perform a task the right way has been adopted by many work organizations and preached by teachers and parents of children for many generations as a good life lesson.

​ The earliest credited "Three Little Pigs" story was written by James Orchard Halliwell in 1849, part of popular nursery rhymes of England. ​ The story appeared in a book titled, "Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales." It is not known whether Halliwell, who later used the name Halliwell-Phillipps, created the story or simply passed it down from previous generations. Halliwell was credited by fellow English author Joseph Jacobs when he adapted the story for a book titled "English Fairy Tales."

The basic story outline of "The Three Little Pigs" is a tale of 3 little pigs, and each builds a home. The first pig took little time in building the home out of straw and spends the rest of his time playing and relaxing. A second pig builds a home out of sticks, which takes slightly longer, but he too values relaxation time. A third little pig chooses to build a home out of bricks, which requires a great deal of time and effort. He values taking the time to build a home properly over relaxation and recreation. ​ When the Big Bad Wolf comes to the homes, only the third pig's house of bricks stands up to the pressure applied by the wolf huffing down the houses. ​

In 1933, Walt Disney released an eight-minute animated film of the "Three Little Pigs." According to the Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts, the short film inspired many Americans through the Great Depression. Americans used the Big Bad Wolf as a symbol of strife in their lives. J​ ust as the three little pigs were able to overcome adversity through hard work, many Americans believed that their hard work would eventually lead them out of the Great Depression. ​

The modern-day version of "The Three Little Pigs" was adapted by Joseph Jacobs, who made changes to appeal to a younger audience. According to Roli Books, in the original story, the "Big Bad Wolf" was boiled in a pot and eaten by the piglets. ​ Rather than end the fairy tale in such a gruesome manner, Jacobs adapted the short story, so that the "Big Bad Wolf" came down the chimney and burned his tail. ​ In the Disney interpretation, the wolf lands in a pot of boiling turpentine but runs away in pain through the chimney.

Maddie Maloy is a junior at Indiana University (IU) studying journalism and minoring in marketing and public and environmental affairs. She is passionate about advancing social justice globally through communication and storytelling. At IU, she works as a reporter for the Arnolt Center of Investigative Journalism. She also serve as the vice president and philanthropy chair for Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc.

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20 The Three Little Pigs

Read “the three little pigs”, by roald dahl.

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The Three Little Pigs by Joseph Jacobs

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Once upon a time there was an old Sow with three little Pigs, and as she had not enough to keep them, she sent them out to seek their fortune.

The first 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, no, 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, and ate up the little Pig.

The second Pig met a Man with a bundle of furze, and said, “Please, Man, give me that furze 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, no, 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, and ate up the second little Pig.

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 his house with them. So the Wolf came, as he did to the other little Pigs, and said, “Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in.”

“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  get the house down. When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, 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 to-morrow 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 got the turnips and was home again before six. When the Wolf came he said, “Little Pig, are you ready?”

“Ready!” said the little Pig, “I have been and come back again, and got a nice pot-full for dinner.”

The Wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be  up to  the little Pig somehow or other; so he said, “Little Pig, I know where there is a nice apple-tree.”

“Where?” 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.”

Well, the little Pig woke at four the next morning, and bustled up, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the Wolf came; but he had farther to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was coming down from it, he 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; “I will throw you down one.” And he threw it so far that, while the Wolf was gone to pick it up, the little Pig jumped down and ran home.

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 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.

He 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, and that he would get down the chimney after him.

When the little Pig saw what he was about, 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 in fell the Wolf. And the little Pig put on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for supper, and lived happy ever after.

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Three Little Pigs: Analysis of Three Different Versions

The story about the three little pigs is a very popular story that served as a basis for numerous fairy tales created all around the world in different languages, and the most varied interpretations. Its value is hard to be underestimated as it teaches a lot of important lessons concerning the necessity to be wise and to take care of one’s future to be ready to show steadfastness in the face of difficulties. In the following paper, the three variants of this story interpretation will be considered including the versions by Lang, Jacobs and the Disney version. Generally, all the three interpretations have a lot in common; however, they do feature some slight differences in the lessons they teach, and the methods they use for this.

Speaking about the similarities and the differences between these variations, the first thing to be considered is the story plot which is, of course, a common part for all the three fairy tales under consideration. The story is about the three little pigs that enter adult life, and, thus, must make provisions for themselves including their own house and safety measures. They are challenged by the big bad wolf, that either eats, kidnaps or the three little pigs. However, one wise little piglet avoids the fate that befalls his siblings and punishes the bad wolf (Marshall, pp. 27-32). In some versions, he even saves his siblings from the bad wolf killing him (Moser, pp. 30-32). In general, all the variety of different fairy-tales about the three little pigs have a few common elements including the examples of unwise conduct strategies of the two older piglets, the practical and winning strategy of the youngest one, the big bad wolf as the embodiment of the wicked reality trying to rob individuals of their joy in life and of life in itself, and, finally, the address to the theme of mutual supportiveness, compassion and mercy shown by the wise little pig towards his careless brothers.

Discussing the similarities between the three fairy-tales under consideration, it should be mentioned that they are many. The main similar element in all the stories is the big bad wolf as the embodiment of life’s hardships (Graham, and Peterson, pp. 4-6, Mauterer, pp. 1-7). Three piglets have no guardian when they face the challenge of the bad wolf. The bad wolf coincidentally appears after the piglets finished building their houses in all three versions of the story. The piglets get separated from each other either, by being eaten, or kidnapped. When the wolf comes to the piglets’ houses, he pretends to be a friend; he disguises his voice and attempts to trick them into opening the door for him. In a third version of the story, three little pigs were curious about the world, and so one day they packed their bags and went on an exploring trip around the big world (Seibert and Horacio, p. 1). The piglets are seemingly wise in this situation since they refuse to open the door when the wolf comes around. This fans the flames of the anger of the wolf, and he then uses force. He huffs and blows the first two houses down (Phillipps, pp. 37-38). In the third story, the wolf tries to break down the walls by force, but the house is too sturdy for him that he ends up hurting himself. He goes home with bleeding and sore fore-paws (Lang and Ford, p. 133). In all three stories, the wolf suffers defeat: for example, in the second story, the wolf gets boiled to his death (Lang and Ford, p. 134). In the first story, the ending is less tragic since the wolf, which is young, gets punished by being grounded for harassing the little pigs. Further, the three piglets also build similar houses in the different stories. The first house is always weaker than the second house, but the third house is strong. In the building process, the weakest house is the first to be completed in the three versions of the story (McDonnell, p. 5). The first two piglets have houses that are to disappear. The third piglet who is wise and brave is the one that escapes the wrath of the wolf.

With regards to the differences in the fairy-tales under consideration, such minor details including names, occupations and habits of the pigs are to be taken into consideration. In ‘The Green Fairy Book’, the author names the little pigs as Blacky, Browney and Whitey. Browney was the eldest piglet, but he was dirty. He would roll around in the mud, and he did not care much for cleanliness (Lang and Ford, p. 129). Whitey, on the other hand, was the second one. He was moderately clever, but he was exceedingly greedy. Lastly, Blacky was smart and clean. He is a good piglet and is foretold to become a prize pig one day (Lang and Ford, p. 130). Browney chose a mud house; Whitey chose a house made of cabbage while Blacky chose a house made of bricks. In the third story, the piglets are named Percy, Pete and Prudence. The piglets were well off since they ran a waffle factory; hence, they each had their own house. Percy had a straw bungalow; Pete had a log cabin while Prudence had a house made of bricks (Kellogg, pp. 1-8). In ‘The Nursery Rhymes of England’, the author does not give the piglet names. This version also mentions that the mother could no longer sustain them, and so she sent them away so that they could fend for themselves. This is different from the other two versions because it implies that the pigs were well off. After all, their mother catered for their respective needs, or the piglets ran a family business. In the story by Jacobs, the piglets had to borrow the building materials (Phillipps, p. 37). The first one built a house of straw, the second a house of furze while the third built a house of bricks (Galdone, pp. 1-4).

As a final point, the three stories under consideration have the same storyline but are slightly different in detail including the little pigs’ names, their habits and occupations. They also have different concepts concerning the fate of the Big Bad Wolf. Commonly for all the three fairy-tales, the first two piglets build weak houses; hence, they are easily destroyed by the wolf; whereas the third piglet who is both wise and hardworking escapes the fate that befalls the other two piglets. All three fairy tales teach that wisdom and diligence are rewarded, and help to conquer even the most troublesome situations such as the wolf’s attack.

Works Cited

• Galdone, Paul. The three little pigs . New York: Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books, 1970. Print.
• Graham, Amanda, and Laura Peterson. The three little pigs . Flinders Park, S. Aust.: Era Publications, 2008. Print.
• Kellogg, Steven. The three little pigs . New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1997. Print.
• Lang, Andrew, and H. J. Ford. The green fairy book . London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1892. Print.
• Marshall, James. The three little pigs . New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1989. Print.
• McDonnell, Janet. The Three Little Pigs. London: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, 2009. Print.
• Moser, Barry. The three little pigs . Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.
• Phillipps, J. O. The nursery rhymes of England . [5th ed]. London: Bodley Head, 1970. Print.
• Ross, D. Three little pigs . St. Louis, Mo.: Treasure Bay, 1999. Print.
• Seibert, Patricia, and Horacio Elena. The three little pigs . Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill Children’s Pub., 2002. Print.

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