Bab Bab 4 · The Old Woman And Her Pig

An old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked

sixpence. “What,” said she, “shall I do with this little sixpence? I

will go to market, and buy a little pig.”

As she was coming home, she came to a stile: but the piggy wouldn't go

over the stile.

She went a little further, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog:

“Dog! bite pig; piggy won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home

to-night.” But the dog wouldn't.

She went a little further, and she met a stick. So she said: “Stick!

stick! beat dog! dog won't bite pig; piggy won't get over the stile; and

I shan't get home to-night.” But the stick wouldn't.

She went a little further, and she met a fire. So she said: “Fire! fire!

burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; piggy won't get

over the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.” But the fire wouldn't.

She went a little further, and she met some water. So she said: “Water,

water! quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog

won't bite pig; piggy won't get over the stile; and I shan't get home

to-night.” But the water wouldn't.

She went a little further, 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; piggy won't get over the stile; and I

shan't get home to-night.” But the ox wouldn't.

She went a little further, 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; piggy won't

get over the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.” But the butcher

wouldn't.

She went a little further, and she met 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; piggy won't get over the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.”

But the rope wouldn't.

She went a little further, 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; piggy won't get over the stile; and I

shan't get home to-night.” But the rat wouldn't.

She went a little further, 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; piggy won't get over

the stile; and I shan't get home to-night.” But the cat said to her, “If

you will go to yonder cow, and fetch 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 yonder hay-stack, and fetch

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;

and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat.

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 in a fright jumped over the stile, and so the old woman got home

that night.