The Story of the Pigs
African-American
One time, away back yonder, the old sow and her children were all living longer than the other creatures. It seems to me that the old sow was a widow-woman, and if I am not mistaken, that that she had five children. Let me see, there was Big Pig, and there was Little Pig, and there was Speckled Pig, and there was Blunt, and last and lonesome, there was Runt.


One day this here pig mother, she knew that she was going to kick the bucket, and she took and called up all her children and told them that the time had come when they had to look out for themselves. And then she up and told them as good as she could, although her breath was mighty scant, about what a bad man old Brer Wolf was. She said that if they could escape from old Brer Wolf, they'd be doing monstrously well.


Big Pig allowed that she wasn't afraid. Speckled Pig allowed that she wasn't afraid. Blunt, he said that he was almost as big a man as Brer Wolf himself. And Runt, she just took and rooted around in the straw and grunted. But old Widow Sow, she lay there, she did, and kept on telling them that they had better keep their eyes on Brer Wolf, because he was a very mean and deceitful man.


Not long after that, sure enough, old Miss Sow lay down and died, and all of those children of hers were flung back on themselves, and they whirled in, they did, and each one built himself a house to live in. Big Pig, she took and built herself a house out of brush. Little Pig, she took and built a stick house. Speckled Pig, she took and built a mud house. Blunt, he took and built a plank house. And Runt, she didn't make any great to-do, and no great brags, but she went to work, she did, and built a rock house.


By and by, when they had everything fixed up, and matters were sort of settled, early one morning here came old Brer Wolf licking his chops and shaking his tail. The first house he came to was Big Pig's house. Brer Wolf walked up to the door, he did, and he knocked sort of softly, blim! blim! blim! Nobody answered. Then he knocked loudly, blam! blam! blam! This woke up Big Pig, and she came to the door, and she asked who it was.


Brer Wolf allowed it was a friend, and he sang out:
If you'll open the door and let me in,I'll warm my hands and go home again.


Big Pig asked again who it was, and then Brer Wolf up and said, "How's your ma?"


"My ma is dead," she said, "and before she died, she told me to keep my eyes on Brer Wolf. I see you through the crack in the door, and you look mighty like Brer Wolf."


Then old Brer Wolf, he drew a long breath, like he felt very bad, and then he up and said, "I don't know what changed her mind, unless she was out of her head. I heard tell that old Miss Sow was sick, and I said to myself that I'd ought to drop around and see how the old lady is, and fetch her this here bag of roasting ears. I know might well that if your ma was here right now, in her right mind, she'd take the roasting ears and be glad to get them, and more than that, she'd ask me in by the fire to warm my hands," said old Brer Wolf.


The talk about the roasting ears made Big Pig's mouth water, and by and by, after some more palaver, she opened the door and let Brer Wolf in, and bless your soul, that was the last of Big Pig. She didn't have time to squeal, or to grunt either, before Brer Wolf gobbled her up.


The next day old Brer Wolf put up the same game on Little Pig. He went and sang his song, and Little Pig, she took and let him in, and then Brer Wolf, he took and returned the compliments and let Little Pig in. Little Pig, she let Brer Wolf in, and Brer Wolf, he let Little Pig in, and what more can you ask than that?


The next time Brer Wolf paid a call, he dropped in on Speckled Pig, and rapped at the door, and sang his song:
If you'll open the door and let me in,I'll warm my hands and go home again.


But Speckled Pig, she kind of suspected something, and she refused to open the door. Yet Brer Wolf was a mighty deceitful man, and he talked mighty soft, and he talked mighty sweet. By and by, he got his nose in the crack of the door, and he said to Speckled Pig, to just let him get one paw in, and then he won't go any further. He got the paw in, and then he begged to get the other paw in, and then when he got that in, he begged to get his head in, and then when he got his head in, and his paws in, of course all he had to do was to shove the door open and walk right in. And when matters stood that way, it wasn't long before he made fresh meat of Speckled Pig.


The next day, he did away with Blunt, and the day after that he allowed that he would make a pass at Runt. Now then, right there is where old Brer Wolf slipped up. He is like some folks I know. He'd have been mighty smart, if he hadn't been too smart. Runt was the littlest one of the whole gang, yet all the same, the news was out that she was pestered with sense like grown folks.


Brer Wolf, he crept up to Runt's house, and he got underneath the window, he did, and he sang out:
If you'll open the door and let me in,I'll warm my hands and go home again.


But all the same, Brer Wolf couldn't coax Runt to open the door, neither could he break in, because the house was made of rock. By and by Brer Wolf made out like he'd gone off, and after a while he came back and knocked at the door, blam, blam, blam!


Runt, she sat by the fire, she did, and sort of scratched her ear, and hollered out, "Who's that?"


"It's Speckled Pig," said old Brer Wolf, between a snort and a grunt. "I fetched you some peas for your dinner!"


Runt, she took and laughed, she did, and hollered back, "Sis Speckled Pit never talked through that many teeth."
Brer Wolf went off again, and by and by he came back and knocked.


Runt, she sat on a rock and hollered out, "Who's that?"
"Big Pig," said Brer Wolf. I fetched some sweet corn for your supper."


Runt, she looked through the crack underneath the door, and laughed, and said, "Sis Big Pig didn't ever have any hair on her hooves.


Then old Brer Wolf, he got mad, he did, and he said he was going to come down the chimney. And Runt, she said that that was the only way that he could get in. And then when she heard Brer Wolf climbing up on the outside of the chimney, she took and piled up a whole lot of broom straw in front of the hearth, and when she heard him climbing down on the inside, she took the tongs and shoved the straw onto the fire, and the smoke made Brer Wolf's head swim, and he dropped down, and before he knew it, he was burned to a crackling.
And that was the last of old Brer Wolf. At least it was the last of that Brer Wolf.


The Three Goslings
Italy
Once upon a time there were three goslings who were greatly afraid of the wolf, for if he found them he would eat them. One day the largest said to the other two, "Do you know what I think? I think we had better build a little house, so that the wolf shall not eat us, and meanwhile let us go and look for something to build the house with."


Then the other two said, "Yes, yes, yes! Good! Let us go!"
So they went and found a man who had a load of straw and said to him, "Good man, do us the favor to give us a little of that straw to make a house of, so that the wolf shall not eat us."


The man said, "Take it, take it!" And he gave them as much as they wanted.


The goslings thanked the man and took the straw and went away to a meadow, and there they built a lovely little house, with a door, and balconies, and kitchen, with everything, in short.


When it was finished, the largest gosling said, "Now I want to see whether one is comfortable in this house." So she went in and said, "Oh! How comfortable it is in the house! Just wait!" She went and locked the door with a padlock, and went out on the balcony and said to the other two goslings, "I am very comfortable alone here. Go away, for I want nothing to do with you."


The two poor little goslings began to cry and beg their sister to open the door and let them in. If she did not, the wolf would eat them. But she would not listen to them. Then the two goslings went away and found a man who had a load of hay. They said to him, "Good man, do us the kindness to give us a little of that hay to build a house with, so that the wolf shall not eat us!"


"Yes, yes, yes! Take some, take some!" And he gave them as much as they wanted.


The goslings, well pleased, thanked the man and carried the hay to a meadow and built a very pretty little house, prettier than the other. The middle-sized gosling said the smallest, "Listen. I am going now to see whether one is comfortable in this house. But I will not act like our sister, you know!"


She entered the house and said to herself, "Oh! How comfortable it is here! I don't want my sister! I am very comfortable here alone." So she went and fastened the door with a padlock, and went out on the balcony and said to her sister, "Oh! How comfortable it is in this house! I don't want you here! Go away, go away!"


The gosling began to weep and beg her sister to open to her, for she was alone, and did not know where to go, and if the wolf found her he would eat her. But it did no good. She shut the balcony and stayed in the house.


Then the gosling, full of fear, went away and found a man who had a load of iron and stones and said to him, "Good man, do me the favor to give me a few of those stones and a little of that iron to build me a house with, so that the wolf shall not eat me!"


The man pitied the gosling so much that he said, "Yes, yes, good gosling, or rather I will build your house for you."


Then they went away to a meadow, and the man built a very pretty house, with a garden and everything necessary, and very strong, for it was lined with iron, and the balcony and door of iron also. The gosling, well pleased, thanked the man and went into the house and remained there.


Now let us go to the wolf.


The wolf looked everywhere for these goslings, but could not find them. After a time he learned that they had built three houses. "Good, good! he said. "Wait until I find you!" Then he started out and journeyed and journeyed until he came to the meadow where the first house was. He knocked at the door, and the gosling said, "Who is knocking at the door?"


"Come, come," said the wolf. "Open up, for it is I."


"The gosling said, "I will not open for you, because you will eat me."


"Open, open! I will not eat you. Be not afraid. Very well, " said the wolf, "if you will not open the door, I will blow down your house." And indeed, he did blow down the house and ate up the gosling.


"Now that I have eaten one," he said, "I will eat the others too." Then he went away and came at last to the house of the second gosling, and everything happened as to the first. The wolf blew down the house and ate the gosling.


Then he went in search of the third, and when he found her he knocked at the door, but she would not let him in. Then he tried to blow the house down, but could not. Then he climbed on the roof and tried to trample the house down, but in vain.

"Very well," he said to himself. "In one way or another I will eat you." Then he came down from the roof and said to the gosling, "Listen, gosling. Do you wish us to make peace? I don't want to quarrel with you who are so good, and I have thought that tomorrow we will cook some macaroni, and I will bring the butter and cheese, and you will furnish the flour."


"Very good," said the gosling. "Bring them then."


The wolf, well satisfied, saluted the gosling and went away. The next day the gosling got up early and went and bought the meal and then returned home and shut the house.

A little later the wolf came and knocked at the door and said, "Come, gosling, open the door, for I have brought you the butter and cheese!"


"Very well, give it to me here by the balcony."


"No indeed, open the door!"


"I will open when all is ready."


Then the wolf gave her the things by the balcony and went away. While he was gone the gosling prepared the macaroni, and put it on the fire to cook in a kettle full of water. When it was two o'clock the wolf came and said, "Come, gosling, open the door."


"No, I will not open, for when I am busy I don't want anyone in the way. When it is cooked, I will open, and you may come in and eat it."


A little while after, the gosling said to the wolf, "Would you like to try a bit of macaroni to see whether it is well cooked?"


"Open the door! That is the better way."


"No, no. Don't think you are coming in. Put your mouth to the hole in the shelf, and I will pour the macaroni down."


The wolf, all greedy as he was, put his mouth to the hole, and then the gosling took the kettle of boiling water and poured the boiling water instead of the macaroni through the hole into the wolf's mouth. And the wolf was scalded and killed.


Then the gosling took a knife and cut open the wolf's stomach, and out jumped the other goslings, who were still alive, for the wolf was so greedy that he had swallowed them whole. Then there goslings begged their sister's pardon for the mean way in which they had treated her, and she, because she was kindhearted, forgave them and took them into her house, and there they ate their macaroni and lived together happy and contented.


The Story of the Three Little Pigs
England
Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhymeAnd monkeys chewed tobacco,And hens took snuff to make them tough,And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!


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 that went off met a man with a bundle of straw, and said to him, "Please, man, give me that straw to build me a house." Which the man did, and the little pig built a house with it.


Presently came along a wolf, and knocked at the door, and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."


To which the pig answered, "No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."


The wolf then answered to that, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." So he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew his house in, and ate up the little pig.


The second little pig met a man with a bundle of furze [sticks], and said, "Please, man, give me that furze to build a house." Which the man did, and the pig built his house.


Then along came the wolf, and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."


"No, no, by the hair of my chiny 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 down, and he ate up the little pig.


The third little pig met a man with a load of bricks, and said, "Please, man, give me those bricks to build a house with." So the man gave him the bricks, and he built his house with them.
So the wolf came, as he did to the other little pigs, and said,

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."


"No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin."


"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."
Well, he huffed, and he puffed, and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and huffed; but he could not get the house down.

When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he said, "Little pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips."


"Where?" said the little pig.


"Oh, in Mr. Smith's home field, and if you will be ready tomorrow morning I will call for you, and we will go together and get some for dinner."


"Very well," said the little pig, "I will be ready. What time do you mean to go?"


"Oh, at six o'clock."


Well, the little pig got up at five, and got the turnips before the wolf came (which he did about six) and who said, "Little pig, are you ready?"


The little pig said, "Ready! I have been and come back again, and got a nice potful for dinner."


The wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to the little pig somehow or other, so he said, "Little pig, I know where there is a nice apple tree."


"Where?" said the pig.


"Down at Merry Garden," replied the wolf, "and if you will not deceive me I will come for you, at five o'clock tomorrow and get some apples."


Well, the little pig bustled up the next morning at four o'clock, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the wolf came; but he had further to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was coming down from it, he saw the wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much.


When the wolf came up he said, "Little pig, what! Are you here before me? Are they nice apples?"


"Yes, very," said the little pig. "I will throw you down one."

And he threw it so far, that, while the wolf was gone to pick it up, the little pig jumped down and ran home.


The next day the wolf came again, and said to the little pig, "Little pig, there is a fair at Shanklin this afternoon. Will you go?"


"Oh yes," said the pig, "I will go. What time shall you be ready?"


"At three," said the wolf. So the little pig went off before the time as usual, and got to the fair, and bought a butter churn, which he was going home with, when he saw the wolf coming. Then he could not tell what to do. So he got into the churn to hide, and by so doing turned it around, and it rolled down the hill with the pig in it, which frightened the wolf so much, that he ran home without going to the fair. He went to the pig's house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him.


Then the little pig said, "Ha, I frightened you, then. I had been to the fair and bought a butter churn, and when I saw you, I got into it, and rolled down the hill."


Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the little pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him. When the little pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the wolf was coming down, took off the cover, and in fell the wolf; so the little pig put on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for supper, and lived happily ever afterwards


Tuesday, March 4, 2008

A deep understanding of children’s stories

1. The story of The Three Little Pigs was a part of my childhood and I still remember it deeply. Like all other fairy tales, its purpose is not only to entertain children but to teach them a lesson. While the general story of The Three Little Pigs remain the same, each country incorporates a bit of their culture into the story and slightly alters the focus of the lessons that are being taught.
     One big difference among all the versions are familiar with is that this version has not three, but five pigs. This could be representative of the large households of typical African American families. This story emphasized the care that the mother had for the children. Perhaps, it is related to the tough times that African Americans had in the past; the mother pig does not want her children to go through what she had gone through. Even though the mother’s “breath was mighty scant,” she still nevertheless forced herself to warn her children of the monster Brer Wolf. After the mother sow died, each pig went their separate way and built their own houses. This could be representative of African American traditions where a mother has a large family and when the children grow up, they are to go out into the world and build a life for themselves. The moral of this story lies in the deaths of the four pigs. They are as follows: don’t be greedy, don’t trust strangers (or more specifically white men?), and always follow your mother’s warnings. There is a saying that “it’s always the quiet ones you should look out for.” This could be another lesson to be learned because even though Runt seemed to be quiet and soft-spoken, he was the one that survived at the end.
     The Three Goslings most notably incorporated the famous Italian dishes such as the macaroni & cheese. The second difference I noticed is that the children worked together to build the houses. However, the two older goslings surprised me by kicking out a blood-relative who helped them build the houses they are currently living in. Those two met their doom when their respective houses were blown down and they were swallowed whole by the wolf. The lesson here is to not be greedy or you will receive bad karma. The youngest gosling was the one that went through the most pain (getting kicked out by BOTH siblings), yet he was the one who had the best fortune in the end. A stranger offered to build an iron house for him. I feel that unlike the African American version, the Italian version welcomes the help of strangers. The youngest gosling’s forgiving nature is a quality that is highly preached in Italian cultures. Finally, by allowing the first two goslings to jump out of the wolf’s stomach can represent reincarnation—a second chance to live their life in a better way.
     Because of the close relation between American and English culture and traditions, the English version of The Three Little Pigs is also the one that has the most similarity with the American version. For example, both versions use the phrase “by the hair of my chiny chin chin” and “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house” in. A lot of English tradition is seen in this version. The wolf tries to befriend the pig and convince him to participate in activities such as going to gardens and markets to pick turnips, apples, etc. This was also the only version where the wolf was eaten by the pig. I think that this portrays the ironic humor that is present in many British literatures.

2.

Hickory dickory dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory dickory dock



     The first nursery rhyme I chose, Hickory dockory dock, was intended to teach children about telling time. It also introduced children to the use of alliteration. Although it may be too young for a child to understand the exact elements and use of alliteration, I believe this familiarity will help children to learn it better when they get older.



Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses, And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!


     I remember reading the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty” when I was little. The nursery books always had illustrations of a round and chubby figure (portrayed to be Humpty Dumpty) sitting on a wall. Logically, I have always thought Humpty Dumpty was an obese person. Upon going to this site, I found out that the original meaning of it was a cannon. This nursery rhyme represents the fight between Parliament and the Royalists in the English Civil War. “Humpty Dumpty’s” great fall was caught by a cannon shot from the Parliamentary side which broke the Royalists’ wall. The royalists were unable to raise the cannon to fire from a different part of the wall. An important history lesson can be learned from this nursery rhyme. Children are known to be very curious and are likely to ask “Mommy, what is Humpty Dumpty?” It would be at this point for the parent to tell the children about the story of the English Civil War.

3. Sigmund Freud was a very prominent psychoanalysis who came up with the Psychoanalytical Theory. He was very interested in studying people’s feelings and reactions to dreams and fairy tales. He believed that they can be used to fulfill wishes, whether they are obvious or hidden. Sandor Lorand believed that a fairy tale can cause traumatic effects to children. Even so, he still thinks that there are positive motives to telling them these stories, such as fulfilling the wishes of adults and allowing them to temporarily escape from their internal conflicts. Alan Dundes based a lot of his analysis on that of Roheim. However, he did not follow only Freud’s beliefs but also that of Alder and Erikson. He agrees that there are a lot of important symbolic elements in fairy tales.
     I find the theory of Alan Dundes the most relevant. Being one of the later psychoanalysts also puts him at an advantage because he is able to contemplate the accuracy other previous psychoanalysis’ ideas. I agree that one motive for telling fairy tales to children is to see their reactions and try to interpret the symbolic meanings. Sigmund Freud puts too much of an emphasis on sexual content in latent-controlled dreams. Although I believe that this is definitely an element present in many of the children’s fairy tales, I do not think it is the most important. I do not agree with Lorand’s motive for telling fairy tales because it will take a long time for an adult to be able to make use of the story.

1 comment:

Darren Xu said...

I liked your analysis of pig Runt and the fact that he was quiet and shy but ended up to be the only one surviving. It kind of reminds me of the quote by Theodore Rooselvelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far." In other words, actions speak louder than words. Runt proved itself to be the more intelligent regardless of what it appears to be to others.