The following is an annotated version
of the fairy tale. I recommend reading the entire story before
exploring the annotations, especially if you have not read the tale recently.
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.18
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 oclock tomorrow. and get some apples.
Well, the little pig bustled up the next morning at four oclock, 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:
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,21 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 round, 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 little pigs house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him.22 Then the little pig said:
Hah, 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 chimney23 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,24 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 happy ever afterwards.25