It happened one day that as an old woman was sweeping her house she found a little crooked sixpence.  “What,” said she, “shall I do with this little sixpence?  I will go to market, and buy a little pig.”

On the way home she came to a stile; but the piggy wouldn’t go over the stile.

So she left the piggy and went on a little further, till she met a dog.  She said to him, “Dog, dog, bite pig; piggy won’t go over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the dog wouldn’t bite piggy.

A little further on she met a stick.  So she said:  “Stick! stick! beat dog! dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t go over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the stick wouldn’t beat the dog.

A little further on she met a fire.  So she said:  “Fire! fire! burn stick! stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the fire wouldn’t burn the stick.

A little further on she met some water.  So she said:  “Water! water! quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the water wouldn’t quench the fire.

A little further on she met an ox.  So she said:  “Ox! ox! drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the ox wouldn’t drink the water.

A little further on she met a butcher.  So she said:  “Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the butcher wouldn’t kill the ox.

A little further on she met a rope.  So she said:  “Rope! rope! hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the rope wouldn’t hang the butcher.

A little further on she met a rat.  So she said:  “Rat! rat! gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the rat wouldn’t gnaw the rope.

A little further on she met a cat.  So she said:  “Cat! cat! kill rat; rat won’t gnaw rope; rope won’t hang butcher; butcher won’t kill ox; ox won’t drink water; water won’t quench fire; fire won’t burn stick; stick won’t beat dog; dog won’t bite pig; piggy won’t get over the stile; and I sha’n’t get home to-night.”  But the cat said to her, “If you will go to yonder cow, and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat.”  So away went the old woman to the cow.

But the cow refused to give the milk unless the old woman first gave her a handful of hay.  So away went the old woman to the haystack; and she brought the hay to the cow.