Three Little Pigs
HOW TO VIEW: Click on the image towards the bottom of this page.
NBSO musicians Emmalee Holmes-Hicks (violin) and Peter Zay (cello) present a special performance for VAHA! New Bedford. Peter and Emmy give their premiere performance as narrators in Daniel Dorff’s musical version of Three Little Pigs. Be ready for a fun, silly time with these New Bedford Symphony musicians!
Parents’ guide to the classic tale, The Three Little Pigs
The Three Little Pigs was written or transcribed by James Halliwell in 1849 and first appeared in a book titled Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales.
This classic tale is foremost a fable about working smart. It reminds us that you need the right materials and the right tools and techniques to do a job right. But there are some other messages pressed into the creases of the story.
The third pig provides a model for disaster preparedness. Especially in these times of COVID-19, parents are developing contingency plans for their families. The message for children is to consider the future consequences of your actions.
- It’s wise to know your limits. The wolf thought he was invincible. His inflated ego and bravado, his selfishness and deceit, led to his downfall. He blew down the house of straw and then the house of sticks. But the house of bricks proved too sturdy for even his powerful lungs.
- It’s important to know when to quit. Sometimes a goal merits dogged pursuit; but it’s worth letting go of an ambition that proves unworthy. The wolf pursued the pigs and wore himself out in the effort. He would have been better served by focusing on easier prey. But greed landed him in the pot of boiling soup.
- When you work hard you often reap the rewards. The third pig knew that his extra effort would serve him well someday.
- A fine pig (or human) helps his fellow beings even when they’ve made poor choices and squandered resources. The third pig was a role model for empathy and understanding.
- Patience is a virtue. The third little pig demonstrated patience in building a house of bricks that required hard work and perseverance. His patience saved his life and those of his siblings.
- The wolf represents life’s challenges. He stalks and strikes when you least expect troubles. But plucky resourcefulness and careful planning pay off and help protect us from harm.
When Walt Disney’s classic animated film version was released in 1933 it was considered an allegory about the Great Depression. The Big Bad Wolf represented the oppressive economic struggles and the Three Little Pigs embodied the common people struggling to get by.
Parents, feel free to retell the ending. When the wolf fell into the pot he singed his tail and ran off never to be seen again by the pigs.