The Big Old Sow and the
Three Little Pigs
NOTE: This text was
recopied directly from a typewritten copy in the archives
of the Blue Ridge Institute. James Taylor Adams
(1892-1954) kept typed copies of the oral folktales he
and others collected during the last thirty years of his
life, while he lived in Wise County, VA.
Typographical errors in the original transcript
have not been corrected, except for one spelling
correction given in square brackets; other apparent
errors include several irregularities in use of capitalization, apostrophes, and
quotation marks. Adams' transcript also contains many
examples of spelling variations to indicate
pronunciation. For example, the "led" of the
chest is presumably the lid.
This tale provides excellent examples of repetition,
symmetry, and economy in the use of language and motifs
as the episodes unfold and the fate of each pig is
recounted.
JTA–3058 is another version collected by Richard
Chase, Damascus, VA, Dec. 3, 1941. Chase's source is not
given but this one is almost identical to the one
reprinted here, except the three pigs are black, spotted,
and white. The fox goes in and eats up the first two
pigs. See also AppLit's notes on other
variants of "The Three Little Pigs and the Fox."
This tale seems to point a moral. It was told me on
November 25, 1940. It is widely current here. Told by
Samuel Simpson Adams who learned it from his mother
seventy-five years ago.
---
One
time thar' was a great ol' big, big sow. An' she had
three little pigs. She'd go off an' hunt sumpin' to eat
an' bring it home to the little pigs. They all lived in a
rock cliff way off in the woods.
One day the ol' sow said to the little pigs, "what
are you going' to do when I die?"
They all tol' her they was goin' out an' seek their
fortune. An' she said, "Build your house out of iron
an' steel an' the foxes can't catch you."
So it wasn't long till the ol' sow died, an' the three
little pigs started out.
The little white pig was in front. It met a fox. The fox
said, "aye, little pig, where you going'?"
"My mammy's dead an' I'm going to build me a house
out of iron an' steel."
"Build hit out of sticks an' leaves an' I'll come
over an' see you."
So it went on an' built hit's house out of sticks an'
leaves.
The fox went on an' met the little black pig.
"Aye, little pig, where you goin'?"
"My mammy's dead an' I'm goin' to build me a house
out of iron an' steel."
"Build hit out of sticks an' leaves an' I'll come
over an' see you." So it went on an' built it's
house out of sticks an' leaves.
So the fox went on and met the little red pig.
"Aye, little pig, where you goin'?"
"My mammy's dead an' I'm goin' to build me a house
out of iron an' steel."
"Build hit out of sticks an' leaves an' I'll come
over an' see you."
But the little red pig done what hit's mammy tol' hit an'
built hit's house out of iron an' steel.
So that night the little white pig heared the fox at its
door sayin', "Open the door, little pig, an' let me
come in an' warm."
"I can't an' I shain't."
"If you don't let me," said the Fox, I'll get
up on top of your house an' blow hit down and, come in
an' eat you up."
The little white pig wouldn't open the door an' the old
fox got up on top of the house and puffed and blowed an'
down come the house an' hit went in an' cut the little
white pig up.
Then the fox went on to the little black pig's house.
"Aye, little pig, open the door an' let me come in
an' warm."
"I can't and I shain't."
"If you don't let me in," said the fox,
"I'll get up on top of your house an' blow hit down
an' come in an' eat you up."
The little black pig wouldn't open the door so the old
fox got up on top of the house and he puffed and he
blowed an' down come the house an' he went in an' eat the
little black pig up.
Then the fox went on to the little red pig's house that
was made out o' iron an' steel.
"Aye, little pig, "open the door an' let me
come in an' warm."
"I can't an' I shain't."
"If you don't let me in," said the old fox,
"I'll get up on top of your house an' blow hit down
an' come in an' eat you up."
"All right," said the little red pig, "jes
go 'head an' blow."
So the old fox got up on the house an' hit puffed and hit
blowed an' puffed an' hit blowed, but hit couldn't tear
it down 'cause hit was built out of iron an' steel."
So the ol' fox come down an' come back to the door an'
begin cryin', "Oh, little pig, do let just the tip
of my nose in. I'm freezin' to death."
So the little pig got sorry for the fox an' let the tip
of hits nose in.
"Oh, little pig," he cried, "that's
pinchin' my nose off. Do let my head in."
So the little pig let his head in.
"Oh, little pig, this is choking me to death. Do let
me in back to my hips."
So the little pig let him in to his hips.
"Oh, little pig, do let me all in but my tail. This
is pinchin' me in two."
So the little pig let him on all but his tail.
"Oh, little pig, do let my tail in. Hit's cuttin' my
tail plum off."
So the little pig let his tail in. He was all in then. He
looked aroun' an' seed the little pig had a pot of peas
cooking on the fire. An' he begun dacin' [dancing] roun'
an' roun' singing, "I'll have pig an' peas for
supper; I'll have pig an' peas for supper."
The little pig was scared to death. Didn't know what to
do. Hit run to the door an' peeped out.
"What you see, little pig?" asked the fox.
"Oh, nothin'," said the little pig. Only the
king an' all his houn's a-comin'."
Then the fox was scared.
"Where'll I git; where'll I go?" he cried.
"Oh, jes jump in that ches' thar an' I'll put the
led on you," the little pig tol' him.
So the fox jumped in the ches' an' the little red pig
slammed the led on him. Then he slapped a kettle on the
fire an' het some water scaldin' hot an' begin to pur hit
in on him.
"Ooh, little pig," cried the fox, "the
bugs are bitin'."
"Jes lay right still, they'll quit directly."
So he kept pourin' in the hot water.
"Ooh, little pig. Let me out the bugs are eatin' me
up."
"Jes lay right still an' they'll quit
directly." An' he kept pourin' in the water. After
while the fox quit hollerin' an' he lifted up the led an'
he was scalded to death. An' the little pig jis jumped
right back an' begun singing', "I'll have fox an'
peas fer supper; I'll have fox an' peas fer supper."
An' the little red pig lived on thar an' nothing bothered
him.
Replaced Copy Made by the Blue Ridge Institute to Replace
Unstable Original.
April, 1991
[JTA-94]
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