109. The Three Piglets (Las Tres Cerditas)
Once, three [female] piglets were walking down a small road while being very fearful of encountering a wolf. So they stopped and said among themselves:
Sisters, why don’t we build a little hut here and the three of us can stay in it to protect ourselves against the wolves?
Let’s go over there! – said the other two.
They built a little hut with sticks and leaves which they found there, and when it was finished, the eldest piglet went inside and made herself comfortable to see how it was, and she said to the others:
Go on, leave here, as this hut only has enough room for me.
The other two sisters started crying and begged her to let them in as well, but the eldest said no and no, so they were forced to continue on their way.
A short time later, they said to one another:
Why don’t we make a little hut for the two of us?
Sounds good – said the youngest -, let us do that.
They gathered sticks and leaves and grass and also a little mud to make it firmer, and finished [building] it. Then the middle [piglet] went inside to try it out to see how it was, and when she was inside and got comfortable, she said to the youngest:
Go on, leave here, as this hut only has enough room for me.
The youngest piglet had no choice but to hit the road and continued walking, and she was crying her eyes out because her sisters had turned on her without regard to their relationship. And she was still crying when a blacksmith came to her side, and on seeing her thus, he asked her:
Why are you crying, my piglet?
[Note: original Spanish text is “e iba llorando a todo llorar porque sus hermanas la habían echado con viento fresco”.]
She told him between hiccups what had happened with her two sisters and her fear that a wolf would find her alone on the road and eat her. The smiling blacksmith listened to her [story] and he said:
Don’t you worry, as I am going to build you a very pretty little house made out of iron and with some strong spikes on top just in case.
And this he did. He built her a beautiful house made out of iron, with windows and door and everything, and he [also] put spikes on its roof.
The next day, a wolf came along the road ahead, saying:
Tau-tau, tau-tau.
He arrived at the eldest piglet’s house and said:
Piglet, piglet, open your little house for me!
[Note: this actually rhymes in Spanish, “¡Cerdita, cerdita, ábreme tu casita!”
No, as you’ll eat me – said the piglet.
Well now I’ll give a blow and throw you out of your hut – responded the wolf.
And so it was done; he gave a blow which blew away the hut, then [he] swallowed up the defenseless piglet in two bites.
The wolf continued on his way, and shortly after, he arrived at the little hut of the middle piglet. He said:
Piglet, piglet, open your little house for me!
No, as you’ll eat me – said the piglet.
Well now I’ll give a blow and throw you out of the hut – responded the wolf.
[And] This was what he did; he gave a couple of puffs, sent the hut flying, and ate the piglet in one bite.
The wolf went away happily, licking his lips with pleasure and saying:
Tau-tau, tau-tau.
Until he came to the youngest piglet’s house. And he said to her as soon as he saw her:
Piglet, piglet, open your house for me!
No way, because you will eat me – the piglet replied.
Then I will blow and throw you out of your house – said the wolf, and he began to blow [at the house].
But the house did not move and the wolf kept on blowing with all his might until he could not blow any more.
And still, the house, as it was made of iron, did not move.
The wolf [then] insisted:
[Little] piglet, why don’t you open the door for me?
No – said the piglet -, I won’t open the door because you’ll eat me.
Very well – said the wolf -, well now I will climb up and tear off your roof.
He climbed up a small hill next to the house, took a couple of steps and began to run up to the house and, zas! with one leap he was on the roof. And of course, as it was filled with spikes, he was nailed to there [the roof] unable to move.
Aye, piglet – said the wolf -, get me out of here or I’ll die.
But the piglet, without wasting a moment, grabbed a kitchen knife, climbed up to the roof, slit the wolf’s belly and freed her two sisters from within. Then the sisters, being ashamed [of their deeds], gave her their thanks and the three of them remained to live [together] in the little house made out of iron, where they would never again be afraid of the [big, bad] wolf.
—– VOCABULARY —–
Acomodar – (to accommodate in a seat) to seat; (to conform) to adapt, to adjust; (to lodge) to put up
Avergonzado – (feeling shame) ashamed, embarrassed
Barro – (sludge) mud; (material) clay; (acne) pimple, zit
Bocado – (act of biting) bite; (portion of food) mouthful
Carrerilla – (dance) two short steps to the front
Cerdito – (animal) piglet
Cerro – (geography) hill
Choza – hut, shack
Clavado – (fastened with nails) nailed; (locked) fixed; (on time) sharp, on the dot
Fresco – (not frozen) fresh; (recent) fresh, wet (paint), latest (news); (moderately cold)
Halar – to pull, to pull on; (to drag) to haul
Herrero – blacksmith, smith
Hipo – hiccups
Ni corta ni perezosa – without a moment hesitation
Pincho – (prong) point, spike; (long, pointy piece of wood) thorn, prickle
Por si acaso – just in case
Qué tal – (used to ask about people or situations) how is/was/are/were
Rajar – (to break) to crack, to tear, to rip, to slice; (to stab) to knife, to cut up, to slash
Relamer – (to lick again) to lick repeatedly; (to boast) to relish, to gloat
Resguardarse – (to find shelter) to shelter, to take shelter; (to safeguard oneself, used with “de”) to protect oneself, to defend oneself
Sonriente – (happy) smiling (face or eyes)
Suplicar – (to beseech) to beg, to plead, to implore
Techo – roof, ceiling
Tragarse – (to ingest) to swallow; (to absorb) to soak up (through the pores), to swallow up
Trepar – (to ascend something) to climb, to scale
Tripa – (culinary) intestine, gut; (anatomy) (Spain) stomach, tummy, belly