The three little pigs

¶ … Pigs

Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs by Roald Dahl

Dear Mr. Roald Dahl, I just finished reading your parody of the traditional nursery rhyme "The Three Little Pigs," and thoroughly enjoyed it's satirical retelling, it's sardonic humor, and it's unexpectedly ironic ending. Your use of modern expressions and language make it perfectly comprehensible to the average modern person while the poem's practical realism reinforces this connection to the modern world. But what I really loved about the poem was the integration of multiple fairy tales while maintaining it sense of modern practicality. Finally, it is a wonderfully witty and surprises the reader with a characteristically twist ending.

What really stands out about the poem is it's use of modern expressions and vernacular. For example, phrases like "that pig has had his chips," or "why can't we talk and make a deal," make it easy for anyone reading it to completely understand not only the words but their context in regard to the story. (Dahl) "Bacon, pork and ham" is another example of modern expressions used to describe the fate of the first two pigs which conjures images in a reader's head. (Dahl) By using this type of literary style the poem becomes something more than just a rhyming story, it becomes something to which the reader can personally relate.

Secondly the poem's practical realism enhances the personal connection one has to the story. Who hasn't at some time thought about why the wolf did not just blow up the third pig's brick house? It's the most practical thing to do and the first solution a modern person would think of using. And in such a case, the third pig's reaction is a typical modern solution: calling in an expert. Red Riding Hood, from another nursery rhyme, is the perfect person to call in for help, as the pig stated "I know you've dealt with wolves before, and now I've got one at my door." (Dahl) In the modern world where everyone is an expert in something, Red Riding Hood is the expert you need when faced with a hungry wolf.

Finally, I loved the ending and its sardonic twist; it is Red Riding Hood who not only kills the wolf, but then kills the remaining pig and has him made into a traveling case. While the reader naturally believes that Red Riding Hood is there to help the pig, she in fact is more dangerous than the wolf she was called in to kill. As the poem says, "Ah, piglet you must never trust young ladies from the upper crust," and can be viewed as a warning to the reader to be wary of those who seem to be helping when in fact they may only be helping themselves. (Dahl) The twisted ending is also a humorous alternative to the traditional tale which uses a character from a different nursery rhyme as a comedic prop. One must remember the story of Red Riding Hood and the ruthless way she pretended to be deceived by the wolf when in fact she was getting close enough to strike. The new ending to the "Three Little Pigs" is a stark and funny reminded of exactly who Red Riding Hood was and her true nature.