Knjigice
Fairy tale · Classic fairy tales
The Three Little Pigs
The story of three little houses and one greedy wolf
Also in: Trije prašički (Slovenian) · Tri prasiatka (Slovak)
Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lived three little pigs. When they were grown, their mama called them to her and said: "My dears, it is time for each of you to go out into the world. Each of you build your own little house — and build it wisely, for a wolf roams the woods!" The pigs hugged their mama, waved to one another, and set off down three paths, each with a little bundle on a stick.
1
The first pig didn't feel like working for long. In the meadow he met a man with a cartload of straw and asked him: "Please give me some straw to build myself a house." The man gave it to him, and in a single morning the pig built a little house of straw. "It's soft, it's quick, it's just right!" he said happily — and off he went to bounce about the meadow till evening.
2
The second pig thought a little longer. He met a man with a great bundle of sticks and asked him: "Please give me some sticks to build myself a house." All day he hammered and banged until a little house of sticks stood ready. "Stronger than straw!" he said proudly — and off he went to the meadow too, where he and his brother played until dusk.
3
But the third pig met a man with a cartload of bricks. "Please give me some bricks to build myself a house," he asked. Then he built for days on end: brick upon brick, row upon row, windows, a door and a chimney. His brothers laughed at him: "Who on earth works that much!" But the third pig just winked: "Laugh away. You'll see who the house comes in handy for."
4
One day a wolf really did come out of the woods — big, grey and terribly hungry. He smelled the pig and knocked on the straw house: "Little pig, little pig, let me in!" — "Oh no, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" cried the pig. "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house away!" growled the wolf.
5
And the wolf drew a breath, puffed up his cheeks and blew — whooosh! The straw house swayed, creaked and flew apart in every direction like golden rain. The pig ran through the flying straw, but the wolf was faster. Snap! — and he gobbled up the first little pig in a single bite. Then he licked his lips and went on down the path.
6
Soon the wolf knocked on the house of sticks. "Little pig, little pig, let me in!" — "Oh no, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" — "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house away!" And he blew even harder than before. The sticks cracked and flew in every direction — and the wolf gobbled up the second little pig too. Then he patted his belly and set off toward the third little house.
7
At last the wolf came to the house of bricks. "Little pig, little pig, let me in!" — "Oh no, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" answered the third pig calmly. The wolf huffed and puffed and PUFFED until his cheeks nearly burst and his head spun. But the brick house didn't move a hair. And the pig at the window wasn't afraid one bit.
8
"I'll get you yet!" snarled the wolf. "I'll come down the chimney!" And he really did climb onto the roof. But the third pig was clever: he quickly hung a great pot full of water over the fire and stoked it until the water boiled. He heard the wolf's paws pattering on the roof, but he waited calmly by the hearth.
9
The wolf climbed into the chimney, slid down and — SPLASH! — fell straight into the boiling pot. The third pig clapped the lid on tight. And that was the end of the greedy wolf: that very evening the third little pig cooked him up for supper, just as the old tale tells it.
10
The third little pig lived in his sturdy brick house for a long time after, happy and safe. In winter the fire on the hearth kept him warm, in summer flowers bloomed by his door, and no wolf ever came near again. And whoever passed by would tell you: clever work always pays.
11The End
