Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

The Old Woman and Her Pig

A N old woman was sweeping her house and she found a little crooked sixpence. "What," said she, "shall I do with this sixpence? I will go to the market and buy a little pig." As she was coming home she came to a stile; the piggy would not go over the stile.

She went a little farther, and she met a dog. So she said to the dog:

"Dog, dog, bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the dog would not.

She went on a little farther, and she met a stick. So she said:

"Stick, stick, beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the stick would not.

She went a little farther, and she came to a fire. So she said:

"Fire, fire, burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the fire would not.

She went a little farther, and she came to some water. So she said:

"Water, water, quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick,

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the water would not.

The old woman went on a little farther, and she met an ox. So she said:

"Ox, ox, drink water;

Water won't quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the ox would not.

The old woman went on a little farther, and she met a butcher. So she said:

"Butcher, butcher, kill ox;

Ox won't drink water;

Water won't quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the butcher would not.

She went on a little farther, and she met a rope. So she said:

"Rope, rope, tie butcher;

Butcher won't kill ox;

Ox won't drink water;

Water won't quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

But the rope would not.

She went on a little farther, and she met a rat. So she said:

"Rat, rat, gnaw rope;

Rope won't tie butcher;

Butcher won't kill ox;

Ox won't drink water;

Water won't quench fire;

Fire won't burn stick;

Stick won't beat dog;

Dog won't bite pig;

Piggy won't get over the stile;

And I shan't get home to-night."

"I will," said the rat.

So the rat began to gnaw the rope. The rope began to tie the butcher. The butcher began to kill the ox. The ox began to drink the water. The water began to quench the fire. The fire began to burn the stick. The stick began to beat the dog. The dog began to bite the pig. The piggy jumped over the stile. And the woman really  did get home that night.