Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part A

(Old Woman and Her Pig. Source)

• One day an old woman found some extra money laying around in her home so she decided to go and buy a pig.
• As she was coming home, they came upon a stile and the pig wouldn't go over it
• She asked a dog to bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the dog wouldn't
• She asked a stick to beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the stick wouldn't
• She asked a fire to burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the fire wouldn't
• She asked water to quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the water wouldn't
• She asked an ox to drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the ox wouldn't
• She asked a butcher to kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the butcher wouldn't
• She asked rope to hang butcher so butcher would kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the rope wouldn't
• She asked rat to gnaw rope so rope would hang butcher so butcher would kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the rat wouldn't
• She asked cat to kill rat so rat would  gnaw rope so rope would hang butcher so butcher would kill ox so the ox would drink water so water would quench fire so fire would burn the stick so the stick would beat the dog so the dog would bite the pig so it would go over the stile but the cat wouldn't
• She asked the cow for some milk so she could give it to cat. Cow asked for hay. The old woman got some hay for the cow and she got milk in return that she then gave to cat. Then cat began to kill the rat; rat began to gnaw rope; rope began to hang butcher; butcher began to kill ox; ox began to drink water; water began to quench fire; fire began to burn stick; stick began to beat dog; dog began to bite pig; pig jumped over the stile; woman went home with the pig

Bibliography
English Fairy Tales: The Old Woman and Her Pig by Joseph Jacobs