“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 o’clock to-morrow, and get some apples.”

The little pig got up next morning at four o’clock, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the wolf came; but it took long to climb the tree, and just as he was coming down from it, he saw the wolf coming.  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:—­

“Little pig, there is a fair in town this afternoon; will you go?”

“Oh yes,” said the pig, “I will go; what time?”

“At three,” said the wolf.  As usual the little pig went off before the time, and got to the fair, and bought a butter-churn, which he was rolling home when he saw the wolf coming.  So he got into the churn to hide, and in 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 pig’s house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came past him down the hill.  Then the little pig said:—­

“Ha! ha!  I frightened you, then!”

Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and tried to get down the chimney in order to eat up the little pig.  When the little pig saw what he was about, he put a pot full of water on the blazing fire, and, just as the wolf was coming down, he took off the cover, and in fell the wolf.  Quickly the little pig clapped on the cover, and when the wolf was boiled ate him for supper.

THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS[1]

[Footnote 1:  Adapted from Joseph Jacobs’s English Fairy Tales (David Nutt, 57-59 Long Acre, W.C. 6s.).]

Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a wood.  One of them was a Little Small Wee Bear, and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great Huge Bear.  They had each a pot for their porridge,—­a little pot for the Little Small Wee Bear, and a middle-sized pot for the Middle-sized Bear, and a great pot for the Great Huge Bear.  And they had each a chair to sit in,—­a little chair for the Little Small Wee Bear, and a middle-sized chair for the Middle-sized Bear, and a great chair for the Great Huge Bear.  And they had each a bed to sleep in,—­a little bed for the Little Small Wee Bear, and a middle-sized bed for the Middle-sized Bear, and a great bed for the Great Huge Bear.