The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time, three little pig brothers set off from their mother's house to build homes of their own. The road was dusty and the sun was warm, and each brother carried a small bundle over his shoulder, full of hopes for the future.

Before long, they came to a fork in the road. "This is where I'll build," said the first brother, spotting a field of golden straw. "Straw is soft and easy to work with. I'll have my house up in no time!"

The second brother walked on a little further until he found a bundle of sticks. "Sticks will do just fine for me," he said. "They're sturdier than straw, and I'll still be finished by supper."

The third brother kept walking long after his brothers had settled. He found a place near a hill where clay and stone were plentiful. "I shall build with bricks," he decided. "It will take longer, but a strong house is worth the wait."

Three Houses, Three Choices

The first brother's straw house went up before lunchtime. He danced about, admiring his quick work, and went off to play in the meadow. The second brother's stick house took a little longer, but by afternoon it stood — a bit wobbly, but a house all the same. He, too, left his work behind to join his brother at play.

The third brother worked on. He mixed mortar, stacked bricks, and wiped his brow again and again. "Come play with us!" his brothers called, laughing. "Why waste such a fine day working?"

"A house built well," the third brother replied, "will keep us safe when trouble comes knocking. I'd rather sweat today than shiver in fear tomorrow." His brothers only laughed harder and skipped off without him.

The Wolf Comes Calling

Not far off in the woods lived a big, hungry wolf, who caught the scent of pork on the breeze. Licking his chops, he crept toward the straw house and knocked upon the door.

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in," he growled.

"Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" squeaked the first pig, trembling.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!"

And huff and puff he did, until the straw house scattered like leaves in the wind. The first little pig squealed and ran as fast as his trotters would carry him, straight to his brother's house of sticks.

The wolf followed, licking his lips, and knocked upon the stick door. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"

"Not by the hair of our chinny chin chins!" cried both pigs together, holding each other tight.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!"

With a mighty breath, the wolf sent the stick house crashing down. The two brothers didn't wait a moment — they dashed out the back and ran, hearts pounding, straight for their brother's house of bricks.

Standing Together

Breathless and frightened, the two pigs pounded on the brick door. "Brother, brother, let us in! The wolf is coming!"

The third pig threw open the door at once. "Quickly, inside!" he said, and bolted the door behind them. Together, the three brothers huddled inside the sturdy brick house, listening as heavy paws thumped up the path.

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in," snarled the wolf at the door.

"Not by the hair of our chinny chin chins!" the three brothers shouted together, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!"

The wolf huffed. He puffed. He huffed and puffed until his face turned red and his breath ran short — but the brick house did not budge, not even a little. No matter how hard he tried, he could not blow it down, for the third brother had built it strong, brick by careful brick.

Furious and still hungry, the wolf climbed onto the roof, thinking he might sneak down the chimney. But the clever third pig had lit a roaring fire in the hearth below, with a great pot of water boiling atop it. When the wolf came sliding down the chimney, he landed with a tremendous splash — and shot back up the chimney faster than he'd come down, dashing off into the woods and never bothering the three brothers again.

From that day forward, the three little pigs lived together in the strong brick house, and they never forgot the lesson their brother's hard work had taught them — that patience, care, and standing together could keep them safe from anything.

Moral / Lesson: Working hard and looking out for one another will always serve you better than taking shortcuts alone.

Attribution: Adapted from the traditional English folk tale, "The Three Little Pigs," first recorded in the 1840s — public domain.