Once there was an old pig, who had three little pigs, and sent them
out to seek their fortune. The first one went and built a house with
straw, and soon after a wolf came and knocked at the door and said,
"Little pig, let me come in." But the little pig said, "No, no by the
hair of my chin." The wolf then said, "I'll huff, and I'll puff, and
I'll blow your house in." So he huffed, and he puffed, and blew the
house in, and ate up the little pig.
The next little pig built a house with sticks, and the old wolf came
along and called out, "Little pig, let me come in." And the little
pig answered, "No, no, by the hair of my chin." "Then," says the
wolf, "I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." So he
huffed and he puffed, and blew the house down, and ate up the little
pig also.
The third little pig built a house with bricks. Just after along came
the old wolf, and said, "Little pig, let me come in." The little pig
said, "No, no, by the hair of my chin." "Then I'll huff and I'll
puff, and I'll blow your house down." Well, he huffed and he puffed,
and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed; but he
could not get the house down.
When he found he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow
the house down, he said "Little pig, I know where there is a nice
field of turnips." "Where?" said the little pig. "Oh, in Mr. Smith's
home field, and if you will be ready to-morrow morning I will call
for you, and we will go together, and get some for dinner."
"Very well," said the little pig, "I will be ready. What time do you
mean to go?" "Oh, at six o'clock." Well, the little pig got up at
five, and got the turnips before the wolf came, which he did about
six, and said, "Little pig, are you ready?" The little pig said,
"Ready; I've been and come back again and got a nice potful for
dinner."
The wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to
the little pig somehow or other, so he said, "Little pig, I know
where there is a nice apple tree." "Where?" said the little pig.
"Down at Merry Garden," replied the wolf, "and if you will not
deceive me I will come for you at five o'clock to-morrow, and we will
go together and get some apples."
Well, the pig bustled up the next morning at four o'clock, and went
off for the apples, hoping to get back before the wolf came; but he
had further to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was
coming down from it he saw the wolf coming, which, as you may
suppose, frightened him very much. When the wolf came up he said,
"Little pig, what; are you here before me? Are they nice apples?"
"Yes, very," said the little pig, "I will throw you down one." And he
threw it so far that, while the wolf was gone to pick it up, the
little pig jumped down and ran home. The next day the wolf came
again, and said "Little pig, there is a fair at Shanklin this
afternoon, will you go?" Oh, yes," said the pig, "I will go: what
time shall you be ready?" "At three," said the wolf.
So the little pig went off before the time as usual, got to the fair,
and bought a butter-churn, which he was going home with, when he saw
the wolf coming. Then he could not tell what to do. So he got into
the churn to hide, and by doing so turned it around, and it rolled
down the hill with the pig in it, which frightened the wolf so much
that he ran home without going to the fair. He went to the little
pig's house and told him how frightened he had been by a great round
thing which came down the hill past him.
Then the little pig said "Ha! I frightened you, then. I had been to
the fair and bought a butter-churn, and when I saw you I got into it
and rolled down the hill." Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and
declared he would eat up the little pig, and that he would get down
the chimney after him.
When the little pig saw what he was about, he hung onto the pot full
of water, and made up a blazing fire, and just as the wolf was coming
down, took off the cover, and in fell the wolf; so the little pig put
on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for
supper, and lived happy ever afterwards.
[Page 178--Rabbit Land]
[Illustration: Gentlemen Rabbits.]