The Old Woman and Her Pig

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s rhythmic and predictable (like a gentle chant), and the growing chain keeps kids engaged without scary moments. The ending brings relief and a cozy ‘everything is untangled’ feeling.

Story Synopsis

An old woman finds a crooked sixpence while sweeping and decides to treat herself: she goes to market and buys a lively little pig. On the way home, they reach a stile near her house. The old woman steps over easily, but the pig plants its feet and refuses to jump. Determined to get home, the old woman tries to solve the problem in the most practical way she can think of: she asks a dog to bite the pig so it will move. The dog won’t. So she asks a stick to beat the dog. The stick won’t. She asks a fire to burn the stick. The fire won’t. She asks water to quench the fire. Water won’t. She asks an ox to drink the water. The ox won’t. She asks a butcher to kill the ox. The butcher won’t. With each refusal, the old woman adds one more link to her plan, creating a long, silly chain of “if you’ll do this, then that will happen.” Finally, a helper agrees, and the whole line of actions unrolls in reverse—one step triggers the next—until the pig squeals and hops over the stile. The old woman claps with relief, and they hurry home together, the day saved by patient persistence.

Story Excerpt

An old woman was sweeping her little house, humming softly as her broom whisked dust into a neat pile. Suddenly, something small and bright winked at her from the floor. It was a crooked sixpence. “ Well now, ” she said, turning it over in her fingers, “ what shall I do with this little sixpence? I know — I’ll go to market and buy myself a little pig. ” So she wrapped her shawl snugly, stepped out into the day, and went along the road to the market. There were baskets of apples, bunches of herbs, and the cheerful noise of people calling out their wares. Before long, the old woman found a small pig with a lively nose and quick little feet. “ Come along, piggy, ” she said kindly. And she paid her crooked sixpence and started home. The road back was familiar, but just before her house there was a stile — two steps over a fence, made for people to climb. The old woman climbed up and down easily enough. But the little pig stopped short. “ Piggy, ” she coaxed, “ over the stile now. ” The pig only planted its hooves and refused. It sniffed the wood, snorted once, and stood as still as a stone. The old woman looked at the lowering sky and the long way still to go. “ Dear me, ” she said, “ if you won’t go over, I shan’t get home to - night. ” She left the pig by the stile and hurried a little farther down the lane, searching for help. Soon she met a dog trotting along, ears perked and tail…

In One Glance