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The
Three Little Pigs
Once
upon a time there were three little pigs, who left
their mummy and daddy to see the world.
All summer long, they roamed through the woods and
over the plains, playing games and having
fun. None were happier than the three little pigs, and
they easily made friends with everyone. Wherever
they went, they were given a warm welcome, but as
summer drew to a close, they realized that folk were
drifting back to their usual jobs, and preparing for
winter. Autumn came and it began to rain. The three
little pigs started to feel they needed a real home.
Sadly they knew that the fun was over now and they
must set to work like the others, or they'd be left in
the cold and rain, with no roof over their heads.
They talked about what to do, but each decided for
himself. The laziest little pig said he'd build a
straw hut.
"It will only take a day,' he said. The others
disagreed.
"It's too fragile," they said disapprovingly, but he
refused to listen. Not quite so lazy, the second
little pig went in search of planks of seasoned wood.
"Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!" It took him two days to nail
them together. But the third little pig did not
like the wooden house.
"That's not the way to build a house!" he said. "It
takes time, patience and hard work to build a
house that is strong enough to stand up to wind, rain,
and snow, and most of all, protect us from the
wolf!"
The
days went by, and the wisest little pig's house took
shape, brick by brick. From time to time, his
brothers visited him, saying with a chuckle.
"Why are you working so hard? Why don't you come and
play?" But the stubborn bricklayer pig just said
"no".
"I shall finish my house first. It must be solid
and sturdy. And then I'll come and play!" he
said. "I shall not be foolish like you! For he who
laughs last, laughs longest!"
It was the wisest little pig that found the tracks
of a big wolf in the neighborhood.
The little pigs rushed home in alarm. Along came
the wolf, scowling fiercely at the laziest pig's
straw hut.
"Come
out!" ordered the wolf, his mouth watering. I want to
speak to you!"
"I'd rather stay where I am!" replied the little
pig in a tiny voice.
"I'll make you come out!" growled the wolf angrily,
and puffing out his chest,he took a very
deep breath. Then he blew with all his might, right
onto the house. And all the straw the silly pig had
heaped against some thin poles, fell down in the
great blast. Excited by his own cleverness, the
wolf did not notice that the little pig had slithered
out from underneath the heap of straw, and was
dashing towards his brother's wooden house.
When he realized that the little pig was escaping, the
wolf grew wild with rage.
"Come back!" he roared, trying to catch the pig as
he ran into the wooden house. The other little
pig greeted his brother, shaking like a leaf.
"I hope this house won't fall down! Let's lean
against the door so he can't break in!"
Outside, the wolf could hear the little pigs'
words. Starving as he was, at the idea of
a two course meal, he rained blows on the door.
"Open up! Open up! I only want to speak to you!"
Inside,
the two brothers wept in fear and did their best to
hold the door fast against the blows. Then the
furious wolf braced himself a new effort: he drew in a
really enormous breath, and went ... WHOOOOO! The
wooden house collapsed like a pack of cards.
Luckily, the wisest little pig had been watching the
scene from the window of his own brick house, and he
rapidly opened the door to his fleeing brothers. And
not a moment too soon, for the wolf was
already hammering furiously on the
door. This time, the wolf had grave
doubts. This house had a much more solid air than the
others. He blew once, he blew again and then for a
third time. But all was in vain. For the
house did not budge an inch. The three little pigs
watched him and their fear began to fade. Quite
exhausted by his efforts, the wolf decided to try one
of his tricks. He scrambled up a nearby ladder, on
to the roof to have a look at the chimney.
However, the wisest little pig had seen this ploy, and
he quickly said.
"Quick! Light the fire!" With his long legs thrust
down the chimney, the wolf was not sure if he
should slide down the black hole. It wouldn't be easy
to get in, but the sound of the little pigs'
voices below only made him feel hungrier.
"I'm dying of hunger! I'm going to try and get down."
And he let himself drop. But landing
was rather hot, too hot! The wolf landed in the fire,
stunned by his fall.
The
flames licked his hairy coat and his tail became a
flaring torch.
"Never again! Never again will I go down a chimney"
he squealed, as he tried to put out
the flames in his tail. Then he ran away as fast as he
could.
The three happy little pigs, dancing round and
round the yard, began to sing. "Tra-la-la!
Tra-la-la! The wicked black wolf will never come
back...!"
From that terrible day on, the wisest little pig's
brothers set to work with a will. In less
than no time, up went the two new brick houses. The
wolf did return once to roam in the
neighborhood, but when he caught sight of three
chimneys, he remembered the terrible pain of a
burnt tail, and he left for good.
Now safe and happy, the wisest little pig called to
his brothers."No more work! Come on, let's go
and play!"
The
End
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