The Tale of the Three Little Pigs

I’ve had a crazy idea for quite some time now for a theme set. My wife and I listen to a radio station out of Philadelphia, which used to present what they called select-a-sets. This was a set of three songs submitted by a listener, and played on the air. A submitted set could have, but did not have to have, a theme. The one I came up with did. It went like this:

Once upon a time, there were three pigs, brothers, whose father sent them out into the world to make their own way. The first order of business was to build a place to live. The youngest pig, being an impatient fellow, wanted to build a home quickly, so he could do other things. So he built...

Leon Redbone: My Little Grass Shack

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Soon enough, the littlest pig tangled with a hungry wolf, and his house was destroyed.

The middle pig was also impatient, but he wanted something sturdier than his younger brother's house. So he built a...

Southern Culture on the Skids: House of Bamboo

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But this house too could not withstand the wind power of the hungry wolf.

For the oldest brother, the most important thing was to build it once, and not have to do it again. Knowing his brothers, the eldest pig also thought he had better add two guest rooms. So he built a solid...

The Commodores: Brick House

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Soon enough, the wolf showed up. But his wind power was not enough to even damage this house. And so, the three pigs lived there for the rest of their days, in comfort and safety. And for all I know, the house may still be standing now, even though our tale takes place a long time ago.

Now, your humble story teller may have left out some key details. So let me provide another take on the tale.

The Storycrafters: The Three Pigs Rap

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The Storycrafters are a couple, Barry Marshall and Jeri Burns, who tell stories at folk gatherings and in schools. I first heard them at the Great Hudson River Revival. My daughter must have been six or seven at that time, and she insisted that we buy one of their CDs on the spot. It has been a favorite of the entire family’s ever since.