The Old Woman And Her Pig
This classic English folktale tells the story of an old woman and her pig. The old woman is walking along one day when she comes across a stile. She decides to climb over it, but her pig refuses to follow. The old woman then tries to coax the pig over the stile, but it still refuses. Finally, the old woman gets so frustrated that she says, “If you won’t get over the stile, I’ll leave you here and you can get over it yourself.” The pig then jumps over the stile and follows the old woman home. The moral of the story is that it is better to do something yourself than to rely on someone else.
By Anonymous · First published 1700 · Genre: Folktale, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 1,295 words
First lines
A little old woman, who lived in a house, Too small for a giant, too big for a mouse,-- Was sweeping her chambers, (though she had not many,) When she found, by good fortune, a bright silver penny!
Delighted she seized it, and, dancing a jig, Exclaim'd, "With this money I'll purchase a pig. " So saying, away to the market she went, And the fruits of her fortunate sweeping she spent On a smooth-coated, black-spotted, curly-tailed thing, Which she led off in triumph, by means of a string.
What this Textopian page supports
The Old Woman And Her Pig is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anonymous, dated 1700 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Anonymous
- Date: 1700 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Folktale, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Humor
- Length: 1,295 words
- Structure: 1 section, 30 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Old Woman And Her Pig by Anonymous
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Old Woman And Her Pig?
- How does this short story by Anonymous fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Folktale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Baa Baa Black Sheep by Rudyard Kipling
- The Tale Of Timmy Tiptoes by Beatrix Potter
- Billy Bunny And The Sorrowful Jay Bird by David Cory
- Uncle Lucky by David Cory
- Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall
- The Roly Poly Pudding by Beatrix Potter
Genres
- Folktale — The title and plot of the book suggest that it is a traditional folktale, likely featuring a moral lesson.
- Children's Literature — The title and plot of the book suggest that it is a traditional folktale, likely featuring a moral lesson, which is a common theme in children's literature.
- Fantasy — The title and plot of the book suggest that it may contain elements of fantasy, such as talking animals or magical events.
- Humor — The title and plot of the book suggest that it may contain elements of humor, such as witty dialogue or slapstick comedy.
Tags
folktale · children's literature · animal story · humor · adventure · friendship · problem-solving · traditional · narrative · moral lesson · imagination · rhyme