This Old House
Disney's festive depiction of the eponymous little pigs is profoundly misleading. Unlike Mickey Mouse, who Disney fashioned from scratch, the trio of little pigs have deep roots in the European imaginary. Cartoon animals in the 20th century, earlier the piglets were fairy tale creatures who elucidated aspects of the darker side of the human condition. Like all characters in well written fiction, the pigs don't tell us what their story means, they show us. Do you have the courage to look?
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"The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house, made of bricks.
Printed versions date back to the 1840s, but the story is thought to be much older. The earliest version takes place in Dartmoor with three pixies and a fox before its best known version appears in English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs in 1890, with Jacobs crediting James Halliwell-Phillipps as the source.
The phrases used in the story, and the various morals drawn from it, have become embedded in Western culture. Many versions of The Three Little Pigs have been recreated and modified over the years, sometimes making the wolf a kind character.
It is a type B124 folktale in the Thompson Motif Index.
Traditional versions
"The Three Little Pigs" was included in The Nursery Rhymes of England (London and New York, c.1886), by James Halliwell-Phillipps.
The story in its arguably best-known form appeared in English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, first published on June 19, 1890, and crediting Halliwell as his source.
The story begins with the title characters being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek out their fortune".
The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and devours him. The second little pig builds a house of sticks, which the wolf also blows down, though with more blows and the second little pig is also devoured.
Each exchange between wolf and pig features ringing proverbial phrases, namely:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, not by the hairs on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
The third little pig builds a house of bricks, which the wolf fails to blow down.
He then attempts to trick the pig out of the house by asking to meet him at several places at specific times, but he is outwitted each time since the pig gets to those places earlier than the wolf.
Finally, the infuriated wolf resolves to come down the chimney, whereupon the pig who owns the brick house lights a pot of water on the fireplace.
The wolf falls in and is fatally boiled, avenging the death of the final pig's brothers. After cooking the wolf, the pig proceeds to eat the meat for dinner.
This Old House
Disney's festive depiction of the eponymous little pigs is profoundly misleading. Unlike Mickey Mouse, who Disney fashioned from scratch, the trio of little pigs have deep roots in the European imaginary. Cartoon animals in the 20th century, earlier the piglets were fairy tale creatures who elucidated aspects of the darker side of the human condition. Like all characters in well written fiction, the pigs don't tell us what their story means, they show us. Do you have the courage to look?
--------------------------------------
"The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house, made of bricks.
Printed versions date back to the 1840s, but the story is thought to be much older. The earliest version takes place in Dartmoor with three pixies and a fox before its best known version appears in English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs in 1890, with Jacobs crediting James Halliwell-Phillipps as the source.
The phrases used in the story, and the various morals drawn from it, have become embedded in Western culture. Many versions of The Three Little Pigs have been recreated and modified over the years, sometimes making the wolf a kind character.
It is a type B124 folktale in the Thompson Motif Index.
Traditional versions
"The Three Little Pigs" was included in The Nursery Rhymes of England (London and New York, c.1886), by James Halliwell-Phillipps.
The story in its arguably best-known form appeared in English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, first published on June 19, 1890, and crediting Halliwell as his source.
The story begins with the title characters being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek out their fortune".
The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and devours him. The second little pig builds a house of sticks, which the wolf also blows down, though with more blows and the second little pig is also devoured.
Each exchange between wolf and pig features ringing proverbial phrases, namely:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, not by the hairs on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
The third little pig builds a house of bricks, which the wolf fails to blow down.
He then attempts to trick the pig out of the house by asking to meet him at several places at specific times, but he is outwitted each time since the pig gets to those places earlier than the wolf.
Finally, the infuriated wolf resolves to come down the chimney, whereupon the pig who owns the brick house lights a pot of water on the fireplace.
The wolf falls in and is fatally boiled, avenging the death of the final pig's brothers. After cooking the wolf, the pig proceeds to eat the meat for dinner.