We cannot all sit on the same side of the fire . . .
But we can all sit at the same fire.

Once upon a time long ago . . .

A Grandfather wanted to teach the little ones how to live safely and happily in a world that has danger and sadness. His story began: There were . . .

1. One pig was wise and two were not. The wise pig built a house of stone. The two silly pigs built their houses of straw, and sticks. One day a wolf came and blew the straw and sticks away and ate the two silly pigs.

   The wolf could not blow down the stone house. When the wolf tried to come down the chimney he fell into a pot of boiling water and the wise pig ate the wolf.

   ---

   The little ones heard the story and remembered the lesson. They were ever watchful, which kept them safe and happy.

   (This was the original brought from Europe, where wolves were used to frighten children. The story as I remember from the beginning of memory. About 1943.)

   One day in America someone decided that this story was scaring the little ones too much. So the story was changed just a little bit.

2. When the wolf blew the two silly houses down the two silly pigs ran to the wise pig's house. The wolf came down the chimney into the boiling water and was eaten.

   ---

   So the little ones learned that maybe they could be a little silly and someone else would take care of them.

   ( This version began to circulate at school when I was five, about 1944. World War II was raging.)

   This seemed to be a better story, but someone decided to change it just a little bit more.

3. This time the two silly pigs escaped and when the wolf came down the chimney he landed in the pot of boiling water, but he jumped back out and ran away.

   ---

   Everybody does as they please, because they can. And the wise pig keeps everyone safe, because that is his job.

   (The war is over, all is well, and though the Atomic Era has begun, only America has The Bomb. Early 1950's.)

   We now have a happy story and the little ones are not frightened. But this is not enough, so the story is changed just a little bit more.

4. When the wolf comes down the chimney and runs away he decides that if he wants bacon he can buy it at the super market.

   ---

   What a tidy state of affairs. The wolf eats pigs,
   but they are "someone else."

   Not "us."

   And "someone else" supplies the bacon.

   Not "us."

   No fault - no foul - no blame.

   We are now "cool" - the beginning of "whatever."

   (This was a little book given as a prize in a Cracker Jacks box, mid 1960's. The Viet Nam war. The "hippy" era.)

   Like, you know, it's just a silly story, so like let's have fun.

   But there is one more version to come!

5. This time the wolf gets to eat all of the pigs, and the wise pig, too! When he is called to account he merely says, "I was framed!"

   (This is from a popular book of "Twisted Fairy Tales," (not the real title) with absolutely NO apologies to the author. I read this book in about 1993.)

   Now everything is "politically correct."

Then one day a Grandfather noticed that there were many silly ones in the world and the wise ones were not being heard anymore. Many of the wise ones had themselves become foolish.

He remembered a very old story and he began:
Once upon a time long ago there were . . . "Three Little Pigs."