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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 wlll 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 buiid 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 neighbourhood. 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
wlth 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 lnch.
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 thls
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'tbe 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 goin 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
chimneyl" 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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