The Old Woman and Her Pig

Fairy tales with repeating phrases, such as “The Old Woman and Her Pig,” are particularly fun to read out loud. Have fun with it; experiment. Modulate the old woman's voice so that each time she speaks, she sounds a bit more frustrated. Or, each time the old woman speaks, read a bit more quickly.

Once upon a time an old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence.

“What,” she pondered, “shall I do with this little sixpence? I will go to market, and buy a little pig.” So she bought a little pig. But as she was coming home, she came to a stile, and the piggy would not go over the stile.

So, she went a little farther, and she met a dog. So she said to him, “Dog! Dog! Bite pig; pig won't go over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the dog wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met a stick. So she said, “Stick! Stick! Beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the stick wouldn't.

She kept going, and she saw a fire. So she said, “Fire! Fire! Burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the fire wouldn't.

She went on, and she ran into some water. So she said, “Water! Water! Quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the water wouldn't.

The woman went still farther, and she met an ox. So she said, “Ox! Ox! Drink water; water won't quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the ox wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met a butcher. So she said, “Butcher! Butcher! Kill ox; ox won't drink water; water won't quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the butcher wouldn't.

She went on some more, and she found a rope. So she said, “Rope! Rope! Hang butcher; butcher won't kill ox; ox won't drink water; water won't quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the rope wouldn't.

So, she went a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said, “Rat! Rat! Gnaw rope; rope won't hang butcher; butcher won't kill ox; ox won't drink water; water won't quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.” But the rat wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met a cat. So she said, “Cat! Cat! Kill rat; rat won't gnaw rope; rope won't hang butcher; butcher won't kill ox; ox won't drink water; water won't quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; pig won't get over the stile; and I won't get home 'till midnight.”

But the cat said to her, “If you will go to that cow over there and get me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.” So away went the old woman to the cow.

But the cow said to her, “If you will go to that haystack and get me a handful of hay, I'll give you the milk.” So away went the old woman to the haystack, and she brought the hay to the cow. As soon as the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk.

As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, the cat began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink the water; the water began to quench the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the pig; the little pig squealed and jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home before midnight. It was a good thing, too, for she was ready for her dinner!