The Old Woman and Her Pig

ONCE an old woman was sweeping her house, and she found a little crooked sixpence. 1 "What shall I do with this little sixpence?" she said. "I will go to the market, and buy a little pig." And the old woman did so.

As she was coming home, she came to a stile, but the pig wouldn't go over the stile. 2

The old woman went a little farther, and she met a dog. So she said to him, "Dog! Dog! Bite the pig, the pig won't  3 go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the dog wouldn't.

 She went a little farther, and she met a stick. So she said, "Stick! Stick! Beat the dog, the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the stick wouldn't.

She went a little farther and she met a fire. So she said, "Fire! Fire! Burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the fire wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met some water. So she said, "Water! Water! Put out the fire; 4 the fire won't burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bile the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the water wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met an ox. So she said, "Ox! Ox! Drink the water; the water won't put out the fire; the fire won't burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the ox wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met a butcher. So she said, "Butcher! Butcher! Kill the ox; the ox won't drink the water; the water won't put out the fire; the fire won't burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the butcher wouldn't.

She went a little farther; and she met a rope. So she said, "Rope! Rope! Bind the butcher; the butcher won't kill the ox; the ox won't drink the water; the water won't put out the fire; the fire won't burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the rope wouldn't.

She went a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said, "Rat! Rat! Gnaw the rope; the rope won't bind the butcher; the butcher won't kill the ox; the ox won't drink the water; the water won't put out the fire; the fire won't burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight." But the rat wouldn't.

She went a little farther; and she met a cat. So she said, "Cat! Cat! Kill the rat; the rat won't gnaw the rope; the rope won't bind the butcher; the butcher won't kill the ox; the ox won't drink the water; the water won't put out the fire; the fire won't burn the stick; the stick won't beat the dog; the dog won't bite the pig; the pig won't go over the stile; and I shan't get home tonight."

Then the cat said to her, "If you go to the cow and fetch me a saucer of milk, I will kill the rat." So the old woman went away to the cow.

But the cow said to her, "If you go to the haystack and fetch me a bundle of hay, I'll give you the milk." So the old woman went away to the haystack; and she brought the hay to the cow.

As soon as 5 the cow had eaten the hay, she gave the old woman the milk; and the old woman gave the milk in a saucer to the cat.

As soon as the cat had lapped up the milk, 6 the cat began to run after the rat; the rat began to gnaw the rope; the rope began to bind the butcher; the butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to drink up the water; the water began to put out the fire; the fire began to burn up the stick; the stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to bite the little pig; the little pig in a fright jumped over the stile; and so the old woman got home that night.

1 a little crooked sixpence — маленький погнутый шестипенсовик (sixpence — серебряная монета в 6 пенсов)

2 but the pig wouldn't go over the stile — но поросенок не захотел перелезать через перелаз (stile — ступеньки для перехода через забор или стену; перелаз)

3 the pig won't — поросенок не хочет

4 Put out the fire — Погаси огонь

5 As soon as — Как только

6 the cat had lapped up the milk — кошка вылакала молоко