Although published for the first time in 1886, "The Three Little Pigs" was a tale told in oral form for years before that. Throughout Europe and Africa, a similar story was told. Differences include: the Wolf is helpful, the Wolf dies in boiling water, the pigs are geese (did they build their houses with their beaks?) etc. I like our version best and I hope you do, too!

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Once Upon a Time there were three pigs who left their Mommy and went
out in the world to live on their own. The first little piggy, who was always
exhausted, built his house of straw. The second little piggy, who could
work half the time, built his house of sticks. And the third piggy, who was
very determined, built his house of bricks.

The Big, Bad Wolf saw the pigs and got very hungry. He howled at the first
little pig, “Little pig little pig, let me come in!"

The pig oinked, “Not by the
hair of my chiny chin chin!”

So the Big, Bad Wolf huffed and puffed and
blew the house of straw down. The first pig ran to the house of sticks.

The next day, the Big, Bad Wolf went to the house of sticks, made threats
and then blew down the house. Both the little pigs ran to their brother’s
house of bricks.

Finally, the Big Bad Wolf, who was starving, came to the third little pig’s
house of bricks. The wolf knocked on the door and howled, "Little pig,
little pig, let me come in!"

The third little pig replied, "Not by the hair of
my chinny-chin-chin.”

The Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed, and he huffed and puffed again, and
he huffed and puffed AGAIN! But he couldn’t blow down the brick house.
He then climbed down the chimney but the little pigs quickly lit a fire and
put a kettle of water on to boil. The wolf climbed down the chimney and fell into the kettle! He jumped
out of the hot water and ran away as fast as he could!

That was the end of
the little pigs’ troubles with the Big Bad Wolf!