Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part A

(Found on Geograph, represents the three little pigs)

 "The Story of the Three Little Pigs" from English Fairy Tales by John D. Batten (1890).

I really enjoyed reading this story in the English Fairy Tale unit because it was such a dive back into my childhood. Going into this reading, I had honestly forgotten what this story was about. In my mind I was thinking of the Goldilocks story, so when I read it it genuinely felt like reading it for the first time.

One of my favorite things about this classic tale is the simplicity of it with the ability to interpret it in a multitude of ways. In the most basic sense, the story is about using the best resources and learning how to take care of yourself (in a way). However, there are a lot of different values and lessons that can be taken from even the smallest aspects of this story.

For me, I think the most impactful lesson to take from this story is the importance of strength. Two of the little pigs were eaten up because they didn't build strong enough houses, but the third little pig was prepared. The little pig protected itself and set itself up for success, ready for any of the tricks the wolf would try. This sense of independence is something that I think should be emphasized more in children's fairy tales rather than the whole "damsel in distress" trope. It's a fresh perspective that I think is very fun to read about and put into fairy tale stories.