47 THE THREE PIGS

I

Once three little pigs said to their mother, “We are big enough to earn our own living. Let us get something to do.”

“Very well, ”said Mother Pig, “But look out for the wolf! ”

So they set out to earn their living.

The first pig met a man with some straw. “Please give me some of that straw, ”said the little pig, “I want to build a house.”

So the man gave him some straw, and the little pig built a straw house.

Along came the wolf. He knocked at the door, rap, rap, rap, and the little pig went to the window and looked out.

“Little pig, little pig, let me come in! ”said the wolf.

“No, by the hair of my chinny chin chin. You are the wolf, and you can't come in! ”said the little pig.

“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 the house in. Then he ate up the little pig.

The second little pig met a man with some sticks.

“Please give me some of those sticks, ”said the little pig, “I want to build a house.”

So the man gave him some sticks, and the little pig built a house of sticks.

Along came the wolf. He knocked at the door, rap, rap, rap. The little pig went to the window and looked out.

“Little pig, little pig, let me come in! ”said the wolf.

“No, by the hair of my chinny chin chin. You are the wolf, and you can't come in! ”said the little pig.

“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 puffed, and he huffed, and he blew the house in. Then he ate up the little pig.

II

The third little pig met a man with some bricks.

“Please give me some bricks, ”said the little pig, “I want to build a house.”

So the man gave him some bricks, and the little pig built a brick house.

Along came the wolf. He knocked at the door, rap, rap, rap. The little pig went to the window and looked out.

“Little pig, little pig, let me come in! ”said the wolf.

“No, by the hair of my chinny chin chin. You are the wolf, and you can't come in! ”said the little pig.

“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 huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed, but he could not blow the house in.

Then he said, “Little pig, do you want some turnips? ”

“I like turnips very much, ”said the little pig, “Where are they? ”

“Do you see that field? ”said the wolf, “It has rows and rows of juicy turnips. I will come in the morning to show you the way, and we will get some of them for dinner.”

“What time will you come? ”asked the little pig.

“At six o'clock.”answered the wolf.

But the little pig got up at five o'clock, and went to the field. He got a basket full of juicy turnips. Then he ran home.

At six o'clock along came the wolf. “Little pig, are you ready? ”he called.

“Oh, I went to the field at five o'clock.”said the little pig. “I have a pot full of turnips on the fire. Don't you smell them? ”

The wolf was angry, but he said, “Little pig, I know where there is an apple tree.”

“Where? ”asked the little pig.

“Do you see that garden? ”said the wolf, “The apples are there, all red and ripe and ready to eat. I will come for you in the morning, and we will get some for dinner.”

“What time will you come? ”asked the little pig.

“At five o'clock.”said the wolf.

But the little pig went to the garden at four o'clock and climbed the apple tree. He filled his basket with apples.

Just then, along came the wolf. “Oho! I have you now! ”he shouted.

The little pig was very much frightened, but he looked down and said, “These apples are so good that I will throw you one.”

He threw an apple as far as he could. While the wolf was running to pick it up, the little pig jumped out of the tree and ran home with his basket of apples.

III

The next day the wolf came again. He said, “There is a fair in the town. Will you go there with me in the morning? ”

“Oh, yes, ”said the little pig. “I will go to the fair. I need a churn. I will buy it at the fair. What time will you come for me? ”

“At four o'clock.”said the wolf.

But the little pig got up at three o'clock and went to the fair. He bought a fine churn. “Now I will make nice yellow butter, ”he said to himself, “But I must hurry home before the wolf comes.”

When he got to the top of the hill, he saw the wolf coming up. The little pig was very much frightened.

“What shall I do? ”he said, “There is nothing to hide in except this churn.”

So he got into the churn. Then the churn began to roll down the hill. Round and round and round it rolled.

When the wolf saw it coming he said, “What strange beast is this? ”

He was so frightened that he turned and ran home, and the little pig was safe.

The next day the wolf came again.

“Did you go to the fair yesterday? ”asked the little pig.

“No, ”said the wolf, “I was going to the fair, but I met a big round thing. I do not know what it was, but it looked like a strange beast.

“It rolled down the hill and frightened me so that I ran home.”

“Oho! I frightened you, did I? ”said the little pig, “That round thing was my churn. When I saw you I got into it and rolled down the hill.”

The wolf was so angry that he said, “I will come down the chimney and eat you.”

When the little pig heard this, he made a fire and put on a pot of water to heat. He took the lid off the pot when the wolf came down the chimney. The wolf fell into the pot, and after that he never again came to visit the little pig.

(English Tale)

Word list

earn: to receive money or other benefits for services

huff: a fit of anger

rap: to knock on a door

churn: a container in which butter is made

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) How was the wolf easily able to kill the first two pigs?

2) Why was the wolf not able to kill the third pig?

3) Why did the wolf become very angry at the third pig?

4) How was the third pig able to make the wolf go away?

5) How do you know that this story is not true?

B) What's the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.

1) a very strong material: b _ _ _ _ _

2) a kind of vegetable: t _ _ _ _ _ _

3) a place where vegetables are planted: f _ _ _ _

4) another word for scared: f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5) a kind of fruit: a _ _ _ _ _

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.

1) _____ All the pigs were eaten by the wolf.

2) _____ The wolf wanted to help the third pig.

3) _____ The wolf and the third pig went to the fair together.

4) _____ The third pig fooled the wolf.

5) _____ Bricks are stronger than sticks and straw.