Well-Fed Wolves

Author’s Note: It’s fun to play with fairy tales. The smallest tweaks spin out surprisingly different stories and lessons.

            Once upon a time, there were three little pigs that set out into the world to seek their fortunes.

            The first little pig came upon a man carrying a bundle of straw and asked if he could have some of the straw to build a house for himself.

            The second little pig came upon a man carrying a bundle of sticks and asked if he could have some of the sticks to build a house for himself.

            The third little pig came upon a man hauling bricks and asked if he could have some of the bricks to build a house for himself.

            All three men laughed right out loud at the prospect of giving away for free what they had worked so hard to possess. Each man suggested that the pig before him should go get a job, then continued on his way.

            And the three little pigs, straw- and stick- and brick-less, were eaten by three different wolves on the prowl.  Because contrary to what you may have been told, there’s more the just one big bad wolf in the world.  They’re everywhere — peeking around corners and hiding behind trees — just waiting for someone hapless or helpless, without the skills or initiative to do things for themselves, to gobble up whole.

            We live in a world, my children, of well-fed wolves.