Folk Tale Retelling by Jon Scieszka Are there TWO SIDES to ... · 1/12/2018 · Jon Scieszka born 1954 Tales with a Twist Jon Scieszka (chDsPkä) originally had trouble getting “The

Before Reading

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RL 3 Describe how a story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes. L 4d Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word by checking the inferred meaning in a dictionary.

The True Story of the Three Little PigsFolk Tale Retelling by Jon Scieszka

“That’s not how it happened. Let me tell it!” When you hear two sides to a story, the differences between the two often outweigh the similarities. Because people often view events differently, the details in each version will vary depending on which person is telling the story. In “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” you’ll discover what happens when someone clearly stretches the truth.

QUICKWRITE Think about a time when you either read or heard two sides to the same story, either in real life, in a book, or in a movie. How did the versions differ? Write a brief summary of each side. Then explain why you think there were two sides to the story.

Are there TWO SIDES to every story?

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Meet the Author

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Jon Scieszkaborn 1954

Tales with a Twist Jon Scieszka (chDsPkä) originally had trouble getting “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” published because its humor was considered too grown up. But Scieszka knew young people would appreciate it, saying that “nothing cracks them up like a joke that turns stuff upside down.”

Friends and Partners Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith have been friends and work partners for many years. Sharing a similar sense of humor and love for the absurd made the two a natural fi t. “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” was their fi rst book.

background to the folk taleThe Original “Three Little Pigs” In the classic tale, the fi rst and second little pigs built their houses from straw and sticks. When the pigs wouldn’t let the wolf in, he blew their houses down and ate the pigs. The third little pig built his house from bricks. When the wolf couldn’t blow the house down, he went down the chimney. The pig had a pot of boiling water waiting for him, so the third little pig had wolf stew for dinner.

text analysis: style—rule of three“The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” is a retelling of the popular traditional tale. In this version, the Big Bad Wolf is the narrator. He gives a different view of what you know from the original story. As you read, you will notice that the writer has given the tale a humorous twist. Though this is a recent retelling, the author keeps the stylistic elements of traditional literature. One of these elements is the rule of three. In many traditional works, including folk tales, if an event happens once, it will happen two more times. For example, a king might test his daughters three times to find out who is loyal to him. Like other repeated elements in storytelling, the frequent use of the number three is called a motif. In literature, the function of the rule of three is to build suspense and anticipation for what happens next. As you read, notice similar events that occur three times. Also, look for the small differences each time the event occurs.

reading skill: identify cause and effectAs in real life, events in a plot are often linked by cause and effect. A cause is an event that makes something happen. An effect is what happens as a result of a cause. Many times, an effect then causes another event, creating a cause-and-effect chain. The cause-and-effect chain below shows how a seemingly harmless event from the original “Three Little Pigs” story causes a heap of trouble for one of the three pigs. As you read “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” use a graphic organizer like this one to identify the cause-and-effect relationships in the story.

Pig builds straw

house.

Cause

Wolf easily blows

house down.

Effect/Cause

House falls down

on pig.

Effect

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML6-459

Author Online

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Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.

I’m the wolf. Alexander T. Wolf.You can call me Al.I don’t know how this whole Big Bad Wolf thing got started, but it’s

all wrong.Maybe it’s because of our diet.Hey, it’s not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies and

sheep and pigs. That’s just the way we are. If cheeseburgers were cute, folks would probably think you were Big and Bad, too.

But like I was saying, the whole Big Bad Wolf thing is all wrong. The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. a

10

The True story of the

three little

pigsA.Wolf

As Told to Jon Scieszka

460 unit 4: sensory language, imagery, and style

a STYLEReread lines 1–13. What elements of the original folk tale do you find in this passage?

Illustrations by Lane Smith.

What details do you notice about the wolf in this illustration?

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THIS IS THE REAL STORY.Way back in Once Upon a Time time, I was making a birthday

cake for my dear old granny.I had a terrible sneezing cold. I ran out of sugar. So I walked down the street to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar.

Now this neighbor was a pig. And he wasn’t too bright, either.He had built his whole house out of straw.

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Can you believe it? I mean who in his right mind would build a house of straw?

So of course the minute I knocked on the door, it fell right in. I didn’t want to just walk into someone else’s house. So I called, “Little Pig, Little Pig, are you in?” No answer.

I was just about to go home without the cup of sugar for my dear old granny’s birthday cake.

That’s when my nose started to itch. I felt a sneeze coming on.Well I huffed.

And I snuffed.And I sneezed a great sneeze.And you know what? That whole darn

straw house fell down. And right in the middle of the pile of straw was the First Little Pig—dead as a doornail. b

He had been home the whole time.It seemed like a shame to leave a

perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up.

Think of it as a big cheeseburger just lying there.

I was feeling a little better. But I still didn’t have my cup of sugar. So I went to the next neighbor’s house.

This neighbor was the First Little Pig’s brother.

He was a little smarter, but not much.He had built his house of sticks.I rang the bell on the stick house.Nobody answered.I called, “Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?”He yelled back, “Go away wolf. You

can’t come in. I’m shaving the hairs on my chinny chin chin.”

30

40

50

the true story of the three little pigs 463

b CAUSE AND EFFECT

According to the wolf, what causes the death of the first pig? Create a cause-and-effect chain that shows the series of events.

L 4d

Language CoachDefinitions The word right has different meanings in lines 23, 25, and 36. In which instance does right mean “precisely”? In which instance does the word mean “healthy”? In which instance does it mean “completely”? Use a dictionary to help you decide.


I had just grabbed the doorknob when I felt another sneeze coming on.I huffed. And I snuffed. And I tried to cover my mouth, but I sneezed

a great sneeze.And you’re not going to believe it, but this guy’s house fell down just

like his brother’s.

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When the dust cleared, there was the Second Little Pig—dead as a doornail. Wolf ’s honor.

Now you know food will spoil if you just leave it out in the open. So I did the only thing there was to do. I had dinner again. Think of it as a second helping. I was getting awfully full.But my cold was feeling a little better.And I still didn’t have that cup of sugar for my dear old granny’s

birthday cake. c

So I went to the next house.

This guy was the First and Second Little Pigs’ brother. He must have been the brains of the family.He had built his house of bricks.I knocked on the brick house. No answer.I called, “Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?”And do you know what that rude little porker answered?“Get out of here, Wolf. Don’t bother me again.”Talk about impolite!He probably had a whole sackful of sugar.And he wouldn’t give me even one little cup for my dear sweet old

granny’s birthday cake.What a pig! I was just about to go home and maybe make a nice birthday card

instead of a cake, when I felt my cold coming on.I huffed.And I snuffed.And I sneezed once again.Then the Third Little Pig yelled, “And your old granny can sit on

a pin!”Now I’m usually a pretty calm fellow. But when somebody talks about

my granny like that, I go a little crazy. d

When the cops drove up, of course I was trying to break down this Pig’s door. And the whole time I was huffing and puffing and sneezing and making a real scene.

The rest, as they say, is history.

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80

90


d CAUSE AND EFFECT

Reread lines 90–93. What are the cause and effect identified in these lines? Use the graphic organizer to show this relationship.

c STYLE

Reread lines 48–71. How is the wolf’s visit to the second pig similar to his visit to the first? How is it different? What words or phrases make the wolf’s reasons for eating the pigs funny?


The news reporters found out about the two pigs I had for dinner. They figured a sick guy going to borrow a cup of sugar didn’t sound very exciting.

So they jazzed up the story with all of that “Huff and puff and blow your house down.”

And they made me the Big Bad Wolf.That’s it.The real story. I was framed. e

But maybe you could loan me a cup of sugar. �

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In what way does the illustration of the newspaper page add to the Wolf’s tale?

e STYLEIn traditional literature, the rule of three helps build anticipation about how a story will end. The first two episodes advance the plot. The third episode usually leads to the resolution. In the original version, the third pig’s house is made of bricks. When the wolf fails to blow this last house down, he climbs down the chimney and falls into a pot of boiling water. What stylistic elements of the original story did the writer keep? What elements did he change? Why do you think the writer revised events in the third episode?

RL 3


After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall Why is the wolf telling his story?

2. Recall At the beginning of the story, what two things does the wolf say the “real story” is about?

3. Clarify Why does the wolf think it’s the first pig’s fault that the straw house fell down?

4. Summarize What happens at the house of the third pig?

Text Analysis5. Analyze Cause-and-Effect Relationships While reading the story, you

recorded cause-and-effect relationships. Recall what you know about the original “Three Little Pigs” story. Explain how the cause-and-effect relationships in this version are different from those in the original tale.

6. Analyze Style How does the rule of three build suspense in this tale? Using a chart like the one shown, note the details in the story that build suspense during each story event. What differences do you notice in each of the visits?

Story Event Details

Wolf visits first pig

Wolf visits second pig

Wolf visits third pig

7. Analyze Style What new details does the writer add to the original “Three Little Pigs”? How do these details add humor to the tale?

8. Make Judgments How convincing is the wolf as a narrator? Explain why you do or do not trust his retelling of the story.

Extension and Challenge 9. Creative Project: Drama With a group of classmates, perform for your

class a traditional version of “The Three Little Pigs,” followed by “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.” Consider how the characters’ voices and behavior might change between the two performances.

Are there TWO SIDES to every story?Think of another classic tale like “The Three Little Pigs” that could be told from two sides. Select a character who might tell the story differently and write a new version with that character acting as narrator.


RL 3 Describe how a story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes. RL 7 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story to viewing a live version of the text.

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Documents

Folk Tale Retelling by Jon Scieszka Are there TWO SIDES to ... · 1/12/2018 · Jon Scieszka born 1954 Tales with a Twist Jon Scieszka (chDsPkä) originally had trouble getting “The