There was an old sow with three little pigs, and as she had not enough to keep them, she sent them out to seek their fortune. The first little pig was very silly. He loved to dance and play and did not like to work. The second little pig was very lazy. He liked to sleep a lot and dream. The third little pig was very serious. He worked very hard and finished everything he started. always doing his best.

The first little pig met a man with a bundle of straw, and said to him. "Good man, may I have some straw to build myself a house." The man gave him the straw, and the little pig built his house with it, but it was poorly made because he played more than he built.

The second little pig met a man with a bundle of sticks, and said, "Good man, may I have some sticks to build myself a house." The man gave him the sticks, and the pig built himself a house, but it was also poorly made because he fell asleep before he finished it.

The third little pig met a man with a load of bricks, and said, "Good man, may I have some bricks to build myself a house." The man gave the pig some bricks, and he built his house with them, and it was a good solid house because he thought it all out beforehand and worked very hard.

Presently, a hungry wolf came to the straw house and knocked at the silly pig's door, saying, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

But the pig answered, "Oh no, oh no, not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."

So the wolf said..."Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." He huffed, and he puffed, and he blew his house in, and chased the little pig all around, but the silly pig ran away to the lazy pig's house..

Then the wolf, even hungrier now, came to the stick house and knocked at the lazy pig's door, saying, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

But the pig answered, "Oh no, oh no, not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."

"Then I'll puff, and I'll huff, and I'll blow your house in." So he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed, and at last he blew the house in, and chased both of the little pigs all around, but they ran away into the woods.

Finally, the wolf, who was really hungry by now, came to the brick house and knocked at the serious pig's door, saying, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

But the pig answered, "Oh no, oh no, not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." And he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and then he puffed and huffed some more, but he could NOT blow this house down.

The wolf was really angry by now. He climbed to the roof and began to come down the chimney to catch the little pig. When the pig saw what he was about to do, he put a pot full of water on the blazing fire, and just as the wolf was almost down, he took off the cover, and in fell the wolf. Quickly the pig fastened on the cover, and made a fine meal from the wolf.

Then the little pig heard weeping outside his house, and saw his two brothers who were cold and wet, without houses to go to. He invited them inside and was very relieved to see they were both alive after hearing their terrible stories about the wolf.

They all sat down at his table and enjoyed a splendid supper. After they finished, happy and full, they all sang and danced to their favorite song, which was "London Bridge is falling down", being very glad that this fine brick house did NOT fall down.

Adapted from the story by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales