One day, a guru foresaw in a flash of vision what
he would be in his next life. So he called his favorite disciple and asked him what
he would do for his guru in return for all he had received. The disciple said he
would do whatever his guru asked him to do.
Having received this promise, the guru said, "Then this is what I'd like you
to do for me. I've just learned that when I die, which will be very soon, I'm going
to be reborn as a pig. Do you see the sow eating garbage there in the yard? I'm going
to be reborn as the fourth piglet of its next litter. You'll recognize me by a mark
on my brow. When that sow has littered, find the fourth piglet with a mark on its
brow and, with one stroke of your knife, slaughter it. I'll be released from a pig's
life. Will you do this for me?"
The disciple was sad to hear all this, but he agreed to do as he had promised.
Soon after this conversation, the guru did die. And the sow did have a litter of
four little pigs. One day, the disciple sharpened his knife and picked out the fourth
little pig, which did indeed have a mark on its brow. Just as he was about to bring
down the knife to slit its throat, the little pig suddenly spoke. "Stop! Don't
kill me!" it screamed.
Before the disciple could recover from the shock of hearing the little pig speak
in a human voice, it said, "Don't kill me. I want to live n as a pig. When I
asked you to kill me, I didn't know what a pig's life would be like. It's great!
Just let me go."
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Once upon a time . . . there were three little pigs, who left their mummy and daddy to see the world. All summer long, they roamed through the woods and over the plains,playing games and having fun. None were happier than the three little pigs, and they easily made friends with everyone.
Wherever they went, they were given a warm welcome, but as summer drew to a close, they realized that folk were drifting back to their usual jobs, and preparing for winter. Autumn came and it began to rain. The three little pigs started to feel they needed a real home. Sadly they knew that the fun was over now and they must set to work like the others, or they'd be left in the cold and rain, with no roof over their heads.
They talked about what to do, but each decided for himself. The laziest little pig said he'd build a straw hut. "It wlll only take a day,' he said. The others disagreed. "It's too fragile," they said disapprovingly, but he refused to listen. Not quite so lazy, the second little pig went in search of planks of seasoned wood. "Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!" It took him two days to nail them together. But the third little pig did not like the wooden house. "That's not the way to build a house!" he said. "It takes time, patience and hard work to buiid a house that is strong enough to stand up to wind, rain, and snow, and most of all, protect us from the wolf!"
The days went by, and the wisest little pig's house took shape, brick by brick. From time to time, his brothers visited him, saying with a chuckle: "Why are you working so hard? Why don't you come and play?" But the stubborn bricklayer pig just said "no". "I shall finish my house first. It must be solid and sturdy. And then I'll come and play!" he said. "I shall not be foolish like you! For he who laughs last, laughs longest!"
It was the wisest little pig that found the tracks of a big wolf in the neighbourhood. The little pigs rushed home in alarm. Along came the wolf, scowling fiercely at the laziest pig's straw hut. "Come out!" ordered the wolf, his mouth watering. I want to speak to you!" "I'd rather stay where I am!" replied the little pig in a tiny voice. "I'll make you come out!" growled the wolf angrily, and puffing out his chest, he took a very deep breath. Then he blew wlth all his might, right onto the house. And all the straw the silly pig had heaped against some thin poles, fell down in the great blast. Excited by his own cleverness, the wolf did not notice that the little pig had slithered out from underneath the heap of straw, and was dashing towards his brother's wooden house. When he realized that the little pig was escaping, the wolf grew wild with rage. "Come back!" he roared, trying to catch the pig as he ran into the wooden house.
The other little pig greeted his brother, shaking like a leaf. "I hope this house won't fall down! Let's lean against the door so he can't break in!" Outside, the wolf could hear the little pigs' words. Starving as he was, at the idea of a two-course meal, he rained blows on the door. "Open up! Open up! I only want to speak to you!" Inside, the two brothers wept in fear and did their best to hold the door fast against the blows. Then the furious wolf braced himself a new effort: he drew in a really enormous breath, and went ... WHOOOOO! The wooden house collapsed like a pack of cards.
Luckily, the wisest little pig had been watching the scene from the window of his own brick house, and he rapidly opened the door to his fleeing brothers. And not a moment too soon, for the wolf was already hammering furiously on the door. This time, the wolf had grave doubts. This house had a much more solid air than the others. He blew once, he blew again and then for a third time. But all was in vain. For the house did not budge an lnch. The three little pigs watched him and their fear began to fade.
Quite exhausted by his efforts, the wolf decided to try one of his tricks. He scrambled up a nearby ladder, on to the roof to have a look at the chimney. However, the wisest little pig had seen thls ploy, and he quickly said: "Quick! Light the fire!" With his long legs thrust down the chimney, the wolf was not sure if he should slide down the black hole. It wouldn'tbe easy to get in, but the sound of the little pigs' voices below only made him feel hungrier. "I'm dying of hunger! I'm goin to try and get down." And he let himself drop. But landing was rather hot, too hot! The wolf landed in the fire, stunned by his fall. The flames licked his hairy coat and his tail became a flaring torch. "Never again! Never again will I go down a chimneyl" he squealed, as he tried to put out the flames in his tail. Then he ran away as fast as he could. The three happy little pigs, dancing round and round the yard, began to sing: "Tra-la-la! Tra-la-la! The wicked black wolf will never come back...!"
From that terrible day on, the wisest little pig's brothers set to work with a will. In less than no time, up went the two new brick houses. The wolf did return once to roam in the neighbourhood, but when he caught sight of three chimneys, he remembered the terrible pain of a burnt tail, and he left for good. Now safe and happy, the wisest little pig called to his brothers: "No more work! Come on, let's go and play!"
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