Prepare to have your mind freaked – but not in the creepy Criss Angel way. So, Ethan and I were discussing nursery rhymes the other week and seeing which ones we could remember in their entirety. Since we’ll have a new baby in a few months, we figured we’d better brush up. Somehow we got onto the subject of “This Little Piggy”, which I’m sure you all know as the rather odd nursery rhyme that includes playing with children’s toes. We recited the rhyme:
This little piggy went to market;
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went…
“Wee wee wee” all the way home…
Now, in all the years that I’ve heard this rhyme, I made the natural assumption that each toe was a different piggy and that they all lived together in a little piggy hut somewhere. Perhaps they were relatives of the Three Little Pigs, I don’t know. I never gave it that much thought. Clearly I never gave it though, because when I expressed this idea to Ethan he replied with words that blew my mind! Ready for it? “There were only two piggies!” That’s right, Ethan quickly corrected me and explained the true meaning of this poem:
This little piggy went to market, (first piggy)
This little piggy stayed at home, (second piggy)
This little piggy had roast beef, (first piggy)
This little piggy had none. (second piggy)
And this little piggy went… (first piggy)
“Wee wee wee” all the way home…
He explained to me that the first piggy got hungry and went to the market…where he got the roast beef. When he was finished eating, he joyfully returned home. The second, less industrious piggy, decided to stay home and therefore had nothing to eat. End of story. That’s it…two piggies! I don’t know why this never occurred to me before. It seems so obvious to me now that there weren’t five piggies. I’ve learned so much from this little fable. And I hope that this has shed some light on it for those of you who have lived with me in the dark for so many years.
Laura, I’ve always considered us to be intelligent women. Perhaps more so than most. However, consider my mind officially freaked. I now feel utterly ridiculous that I never got it either. And it’s not like I had to think back to my childhood. I’ve been doing the little piggies for YEARS with my nieces and nephews. I’m going to go sulk in shame and embarrassment now.
Comment by Pistol Jenn — February 5, 2009 @ 4:50 pm |
WOW. Just WOW. that’s all I got.
Comment by Melanie — February 5, 2009 @ 5:14 pm |
Check this out: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=69437
I’ve done some research and haven’t found anything to corroborate. I did find reference to sending the pig to be slaughtered (to market) but I dismissed that long ago because it doesn’t make sense. Oh, and my boss laughed at me that Ethan’s theory isn’t right. It does make sense though!
Comment by Pistol Jenn — February 5, 2009 @ 5:16 pm |
Hmmm…I never thought about market in that sense…yikes! Although nursery rhymes have been known to be bloody at time. Keep me posted on what you find.
Comment by laura819 — February 5, 2009 @ 5:24 pm |
I believe I’m entitled to a new blog post.
Comment by Pistol Jenn — March 18, 2009 @ 5:05 pm |