The Story of the Three Little Pigs

Author: Joseph Jacobs
Genre: Fairy Tale

Summary
The three pigs are all trying to build homes for themselves. The first pig meets a man who gives him straw to build his house. A wolf comes, knocks on his door, and says, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in." The pig says no, so the wolf threatens to blow his house down, which he does. He then eats the pig.

The second pig meets a man with some furze. He asks the man to give it to him so he can build his house, and he does. The wolf comes to his house and asks to come in. When the pig says no, the wolf threatens to blow his house down. He does, and then eats the second pig.

The third pig found a man who gave him bricks to build his house. Once again, the wolf came and asked to come in. The pig said no, and this time when the wolf tried to blow his house down, he couldn't! In his frustration, he comes up with another plan. He goes through a series of things--turnips, apples, and a fair--to try to get the pig out of his house. Each time, the pig outsmarts the wolf. he goes to the place an hour before the wolf does, and returns home. Finally, the wolf is so angry that he says he's going to come down the pig's chimney. The pig puts a boiling pot of water at the bottom of the chimney, and the wolf falls into it. Then the pig puts a lid over the pot, cooks the wolf, and eats him. And he lives happily ever after.

Reaction
I loved this version of the three little pigs! There's a lot more cleverness from the third pig than other versions of this story I have heard.

Recommendations
I would recommend this story to children older than 8. It's not too scary, but there's some things in it that may not be suitable for younger children.

Problems/Conflicts
Even though they're animals, the fact that the first two pigs (and eventually the wolf) get eaten up might be a little disturbing for some kids, and parents probably wouldn't want their little youngsters to hear that.

Of Jacob's fairy tales, I also read Jack and the Beanstalk, Mr. Fox, and The Story of the Three Bears.