The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time, three little pigs left their mother's house to build homes of their own. The first little pig was lazy and built his house of straw. "There!" he said. "Done in a day!" The second little pig built his house of sticks. "It will be quick," he said. But the third little pig was wise and hardworking. He built his house of strong red bricks, and it took him many days.

The Big Bad Wolf

One day, a big bad wolf came down the road. He was very hungry. He knocked on the straw house. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!" he growled. "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!" squealed the first little pig. "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" cried the wolf. And he huffed and puffed and blew the straw house down! The first little pig ran as fast as his legs could carry him to his brother's stick house.

The wolf followed. "Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in!" he howled. "Not by the hair of our chinny-chin-chins!" they cried. So the wolf huffed and puffed and blew the stick house down too! The two little pigs ran to their brother's brick house and hid inside, trembling.

The Brick House Stands Strong

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in!" roared the wolf. "Not by the hair of our chinny-chin-chins!" they all shouted. The wolf huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed, but the brick house did not move one bit. The wolf was furious. "I will climb down the chimney!" he snarled. But the clever third pig had put a big pot of boiling water on the fire. Down came the wolf — splash! — and he jumped out of the chimney and ran far, far away, never to return.

The three little pigs lived safely together in the strong brick house. The two lazy brothers learned their lesson and helped build everything strong from then on.

The Wolf Is Outwitted

Before the wolf tried the chimney, he tried to trick the clever third pig in other ways. "Little pig," he called one morning, "there is a fine field of turnips nearby. Meet me at sunrise and we will gather them." But the wise pig woke up even earlier, gathered his turnips, and was home eating breakfast when the wolf arrived. "Little pig," said the wolf another day, "there is an apple tree full of ripe apples. Come with me at dawn." Again the pig went first and filled his basket before the wolf came.

The third time, the wolf said, "There is a fair in town today with merry music and sweet treats. Let us go together this afternoon." The clever pig went in the morning instead, bought a big butter churn, and was rolling happily home when he saw the wolf coming up the hill. Quick as a flash, he jumped inside the churn and rolled bumpety-bump all the way down past the surprised wolf! The wolf was so angry that he decided to climb down the chimney — and we know how that ended.

Moral of the Story

Hard work and planning keep you safe. Do your best job the first time, and troubles cannot blow you down.