The fourth little pig’s house was made of wolf skulls.
They aren’t very sturdy, but they send a message.
From a Cartoon
Depending on the version, the pigs live or die. Dying is more honest. The third pig boasting and nearly condemning himself also works very well.
The Three Little Pigs
There was an old sow with three little pigs. She had spent years burrowing in the muck and had found quite a few valuable things. So she gave each of them a purse of coins and sent them out to seek their fortune. Before they left, she warned them of the dangers of the road, especially wolves.
«They are powerful and sly, and would like nothing more than to eat you,» she said.
The first little pig went off and met a man with a bundle of straw.
‹That is fine straw,› thought the pig. ‹If I make a house from it, I shall be protected from the rain.›
So he said to the man:
«Will you give me that straw for some coins?»
Which the man did, and the little pig built a house with it. Presently there came a wolf, who knocked at the door and said:
«Little pig, little pig, let me come in.»
To which the pig squeaked:
«No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin. This is not your place.»
The wolf snarled:
«Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.»
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the house in, and ate up the little pig.
The second little pig also met a man with a bundle of straw, but thought:
‹Straw might protect me from the rain, but it is rather thin for a house.›
So he walked on until he met a man with a bundle of sticks.
‹That is better than straw,› thought the pig. ‹And besides, I have walked long enough.›
So he said:
«Will you give me these sticks for some coins?»
Which the man did, and the little pig built a house with them. Then along came the wolf and said:
«Little pig, little pig, let me come in.»
«No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin. You have no right to enter here,» squeaked the little pig in reply.
«Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in,» snarled the wolf.
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down, and he ate up the little pig.
The third little pig also met a man with a bundle of straw and thought:
‹The straw is too thin.›
And he met a man with a bundle of sticks and thought:
‹It might protect me from rain but not from a storm.›
Finally he met a man with a load of bricks.
‹Those will make a sturdy house,› thought the little pig. ‹There is no reason to go any farther. Besides, I might meet a wolf upon the road.›
So he said:
«Will you give me these bricks for some coins?»
Which the man did, and the little pig built his house with them. The wolf came, as he had come to the other little pigs, and said:
«Little pig, little pig, let me come in.»
«No,» replied the pig in a level voice. «You will not.»
«Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in,» snarled the wolf.
Well, he huffed, and he puffed, and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and huffed some more. But he could not get the house down. When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he thought:
‹Well, the little pig cannot stay indoors forever.›
So he stopped snarling, sat himself down outside the house, and spoke quite tenderly.
«Well, little pig, that was quite a joke we had. I know these parts better than you do. I know where wild carrots grow.»
«Where?» asked the little pig.
«Oh, in the meadow by the river bend. If you like, I will call for you tomorrow morning, and we shall go together.»
«Very well,» replied 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 had the carrots home before the wolf came at six o’clock.
«Little pig, are you ready?» asked the wolf.
«Ready!» said the little pig. «I have been there and come back again, and got a nice potful for dinner.»
The wolf was very angry at this, but thought that he would catch the little pig somehow or other. So he said:
«Little pig, I know where there is a fine apple tree.»
«Where?» said the pig.
«Next to the big old oak,» replied the wolf. «And if you will not deceive me, I will come for you at five o’clock tomorrow, and we shall get some apples.»
Well, the little pig bustled up the next morning at four o’clock and went off for the apples, hoping to get home before the wolf came. But he had farther to go, and he had to climb the tree. Just as he was about to come down, he saw the wolf coming.
That, as you may suppose, frightened him very much.
When the wolf reached the tree, 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 to the little pig:
«Little pig, there is a fair in the town this afternoon. Will you go?»
«Oh yes,» said the pig. «I will go. What time shall you be ready?»
«At three in the afternoon,» said the wolf. «I will call for you.»
So the little pig went off at noon. He got to the fair and bought a big kettle. He slung it over his shoulder and set out for home, eager to be there before the wolf came looking for him.
But he had just reached the top of a hill and could see his own little house nestling at the foot of it among the trees when he saw the wolf coming up. Having been too late twice, the wolf had this time gone early to the pig’s house and, not finding him there, had made his way toward the fair.
For a moment the little pig’s heart stood still with fear.
Then a happy thought came to him.
He snatched the lid from the kettle and jumped in. Coiling himself round, he lay quite snug in the bottom, while with his foreleg he managed to draw the lid over himself. With a little kick from inside, he started the kettle off, and down the hill it rolled full tilt.
The wolf saw a great black thing coming at him, rolling and bounding down the hill at a fearful pace. He was so frightened that he turned tail and ran home without ever reaching the fair.
Later, he went to the little pig’s house.
«Little pig,» said the wolf, not yet recovered from his fright, «you had better be careful. There is a dreadful round black creature abroad in these parts. It nearly had me.»
«Hah! I frightened you, then,» boasted the pig. «I had been to the fair and bought a big kettle, and when I saw you, I got into it and rolled down the hill.»
Then the wolf became furious. He swore he would eat up the little pig, come what may. Looking up at the sturdy house, he saw the chimney and resolved to climb onto the roof and come down after him.
The little pig heard him upon the roof and realized what he was about.
«Now I’ve done it!» the pig groaned. «I’ve made him mad enough to try the chimney!»
He ran to the door and almost made a dash for it. But on the open ground the wolf would surely run him down.
Then his eyes fell upon the kettle and another thought came to him.
Quickly he hung the kettle over the hearth, filled it with water, and made a blazing fire beneath it.
Just as the wolf was coming down the chimney, the little pig snatched off the lid, and in fell the wolf, straight into the boiling water.
In an instant the little pig clapped the lid on again and held it fast. And when the wolf was well boiled and tender at last, he ate him for supper.