Clifton Johnson

The Old Woman and Her Pig

O NCE an old woman was sweeping her house and she found a piece of money, and she took the money to market and bought a pig. Then she told the pig to run home, and the pig said, "I won't!"

So the old woman looked around and she saw a dog, and she said, "Dog, dog, bite the pig and make piggy run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the dog said, "No, pig doesn't do me any harm;" and he wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw a stick, and she said, "Stick, stick, bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the stick said, "No, dog doesn't do me any harm;" and it wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw a fire, and she said, "Fire, fire, burn stick, stick won't bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the fire said, "No, stick doesn't do me any harm;" and it wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw a puddle of water, and she said, "Water, water, quench fire, fire won't burn stick, stick won't bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the water said, "No, fire doesn't do me any harm;" and it wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw an ox, and she said, "Ox, ox, drink water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn stick, stick won't bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the ox said, "No, water doesn't do me any harm;" and it wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw a butcher, and she said, "Butcher, butcher, kill ox, ox won't drink water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn stick, stick won't bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the butcher said, "No, ox doesn't do me any harm;" and he wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw a rope, and she said, "Rope, rope, hang butcher, butcher won't kill ox, ox won't drink water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn stick, stick won't bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the rope said, "No, butcher doesn't do me any harm;" and it wouldn't.

So the old woman looked around and she saw a rat, and she said, "Rat, rat, gnaw rope, rope won't hang butcher, butcher won't kill ox, ox won't drink water, water won't quench fire, fire won't burn stick, stick won't bang dog, dog won't bite pig, and piggy won't run home. I see by the moonlight 'tis half-past midnight—time pig and I were at home an hour ago."

But the rat said, "No, rope doesn't do me any harm;" and it wouldn't.

Then the old woman said to the rat, "I'll cut your tail off, then."

The rat did not want to lose its tail and it began to gnaw the rope, and the rope began to hang the butcher, and the butcher began to kill the ox, and the ox began to drink the water, and the water began to quench the fire, and the fire began to burn the stick, and the stick began to bang the dog, and the dog began to bite the pig, and piggy ran home and cried,