Three Pigs, One Wolf, and Seven Magic Shapes

by Grace Maccarone

Do you know a story about three little pigs? Of course you do. They built three little houses out of straw, sticks, and bricks. Then the big Bad Wolf came along an huffed and puffed and blew two houses down. Only the brick house was strong and safe. So two of the pigs were eaten and the third pig lived happily ever after.

Now the first little pig met a magic duck. "Please, duck can you help me seek my fortune?" said the pig. And the duck gave the first little pig seven magic shapes - two little triangles, one medium sized triangle, two large triangles, a square, and a parallelogram.

"Use them wisely," said the duck, and he walked away. As the pig went along with his seven shapes, he grew lonely. After all, at home, he had a brother and a sister pig to talk to and play with. So he used his magic shapes to make a cat. "This is very wise," said the pig, "for I will not be lonely anymore."

Just then, guess who came by? Big Brad Wolf! He's the twin brother of the wolf in the other three-pig story. Big Brad had run all the way from the other village, so he was doing a lot of huffing and puffing. He huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed. Then he ate up the little pig, and the cat, too.

The second little pig met a magic rabbit. "Please rabbit, can you help me seek my fortune?" said the pig. And the rabbit gave the second little pig seven magic shapes - two little triangles, one medium sized triangle, two large triangles, a square, and a parallelogram. "Use them wisely," said the rabbit, and she hopped away. That evening, as it grew dark, the pig grew frightened. He used his magic shapes to make a candle. "This is very wise," said the pig, "for I will not be frightened anymore." But it wasn't wise enough.

Along came the wolf, who huffed and puffed and puffed and huffed and blew the candle out. And he ate up the pig.

The third little pig met a magic swan. "Please swan, can you help me find my fortune?" asked the pig. So the swan gave the third little pig seven magic shapes - two little triangles, one medium sized triangle, two large triangles, a square, and a parallelogram. "Use them wisely," said the swan, and he swam away.

Now the third little pig thought and thought and thought about how to use the shapes wisely. She decided to build a safe and cozy house. That was a very smart thing to do because just then the wolf came - and he was still hungry! He saw the pig's house and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."

"No, no, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin," said the pig.

"Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in," said the wolf. Well, he huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed, but he could not blow the house in. So he went away.

But that's not the end of the story. One day, the pig who built a house of bricks met the pig who built a house of shapes. They fell in love and were married and they no longer needed two houses. The pig who built a house of shapes had an idea. She took apart her house and used the seven shapes to build a beautiful sailboat that would take her and her mate on a long honeymoon. The pigs had just boarded the boat when Big Brad Wolf suddenly returned - very angry and very hungry. So he huffed and and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed. He made a wonderful wind that kept the boat sailing halfway around the world. And the two little pigs lived happily after and had three little pigs of their own - and all of them were very smart.