A little pig, a long road, a mixed-up licence, and a brave run over the bridge! A story by Beatrix Potter, from her 1913 picture book.
🐷 The story in brief
Aunt Pettitoes has eight little pigs. Pigling Bland and his brother Alexander set off for market, each with a licence, a bundle and some peppermints. Alexander loses his licence and has to go home with a policeman.
Pigling gets lost in the dark and spends the night at old Mr. Piperson's farm. There he meets Pig-wig, a little black pig who wants to run away home. Early next morning, the two friends run hand in hand over the bridge and far away.
📖 The story, part by part
Tap “Read it to me” to listen, or read each part with a grown-up. The green boxes show Beatrix Potter's own words.
Part 1
Eight little pigs
Once upon a time there was an old pig called Aunt Pettitoes. She had eight children: four little girl pigs and four little boy pigs.
The girls were Cross-patch, Suck-suck, Yock-yock and Spot. The boys were Alexander, Pigling Bland, Chin-chin and Stumpy.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Stumpy had had an accident to his tail.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “The eight little pigs had very fine appetites.”
Part 2
A day of mischief
Those little pigs were always getting into trouble!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Alexander had squeezed inside the hoops of the pig trough and stuck.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Chin-chin was already in disgrace; it was washing day, and he had eaten a piece of soap.”
Yock-yock hid in the basket of clean clothes, and she was black with dirt. Cross-patch and Suck-suck dug up the carrots. Only Spot and Pigling Bland were good.
Part 3
Off to market
Aunt Pettitoes had too many children at home. So the little pigs went off to new homes, and Pigling Bland and his brother Alexander were sent to market.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “We brushed their coats, we curled their tails and washed their little faces, and wished them good-bye in the yard.”
Aunt Pettitoes wiped her eyes with a big handkerchief. She gave her two boys lots of advice.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Mind your Sunday clothes, and remember to blow your nose”
Part 4
Two licences
A pig needed a special paper, called a licence, to go to market.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Here are two licences permitting two pigs to go to market in Lancashire.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “I pinned the papers, for safety, inside their waistcoat pockets;”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Aunt Pettitoes gave to each a little bundle, and eight conversation peppermints with appropriate moral sentiments in screws of paper.”
Conversation peppermints were sweets with little messages on them.
Part 5
Skipping Alexander
Pigling Bland trotted along the road steadily. Alexander did not!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Alexander made the road half as long again by skipping from side to side.”
Alexander ate all his peppermints at once, and then he asked for one of Pigling's.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “But I wish to preserve them for emergencies,” said Pigling Bland doubtfully.
Alexander pricked Pigling with a pin, and the two papers got all mixed up. But soon they made friends again.
Part 6
The policeman
Round a corner, the two little pigs nearly bumped into a policeman.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “What’s that, young sirs? Stole a pig? Where are your licences?” said the policeman.
Pigling showed his paper. But Alexander had lost his!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “I had one, indeed I had, Mr. Policeman!”
So Alexander had to go back home with the policeman. Pigling had to go on all by himself.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “he gave his brother a peppermint, and watched him out of sight.”
Part 7
The sign-post
It began to rain. Pigling came to some cross-roads and a sign-post.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “To Market Town, 5 miles,” “Over the Hills, 4 miles,” “To Pettitoes Farm, 3 miles.”
Pigling did not really want to go to market at all.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “I wish I could have a little garden and grow potatoes,” said Pigling Bland.
Then he felt in his pocket, and found two papers. One was Alexander's! The papers had been mixed up. Pigling ran back to find his brother.
Part 8
Lost in the dark
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He took a wrong turn—several wrong turns, and was quite lost.”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “It grew dark, the wind whistled, the trees creaked and groaned.”
At last Pigling came out of the wood.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “the moon shone through the clouds, and Pigling Bland saw a country that was new to him.”
Pigling was wet, cold and tired. He found a little wooden hen house, and crept inside to sleep with the hens.
Part 9
Mr. Piperson
In the night, the farmer came with a lantern to fetch his hens for market. His name was Mr. Peter Thomas Piperson. He found Pigling, too, and carried him home in his big basket, called a hamper.
In Mr. Piperson's kitchen, Pigling sat by the fire.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Pigling Bland drew forward a coppy stool, and sat on the edge of it, shyly warming his hands.”
Mr. Piperson made porridge for supper. Something at the other end of the kitchen made funny noises, but Pigling was too hungry to mind.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “You may sleep on the rug,” said Mr. Peter Thomas Piperson.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Pigling Bland slept like a top.”
Part 10
A voice in the cupboard
In the morning, Mr. Piperson went out and left Pigling alone in the house.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He found some potato peelings in a bucket in the back kitchen. Pigling ate the peel, and washed up the porridge plates in the bucket.”
He sang a song as he worked. Then a little voice from the locked cupboard sang along with him! Pigling was very careful and quiet.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “After another long pause, Pigling pushed a peppermint under the door. It was sucked in immediately.”
Part 11
Pig-wig
That night, after Mr. Piperson went to bed, the cupboard door was not shut properly.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “My name is Pig-wig. Make me more porridge, please!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “A perfectly lovely little black Berkshire pig stood smiling beside him.”
Pig-wig had been taken from her home, and she wanted to run away. Pigling said he would help her get to the bridge in the morning.
Pig-wig sang a song by the fire, and she got sleepier and sleepier, until she was fast asleep on the hearth-rug.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Pigling Bland, on tip-toe, covered her up with an antimacassar.”
Part 12
Over the hills and far away
Very early in the morning, Pigling and Pig-wig crept out of the house, hand in hand.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “The sun rose while they were crossing the moor, a dazzle of light over the tops of the hills.”
A grocer in a cart stopped them and asked for their papers. He went off to fetch a man ploughing a field, and told the two pigs to wait. Pigling waited until the grocer was not looking. Then he said, “Now, Pig-wig!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Never did any pigs run as these pigs ran!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “They came to the river, they came to the bridge—they crossed it hand in hand—then over the hills and far away she danced with Pigling Bland!”
💛 Big idea
Be kind, and be brave for a friend. Pigling shared his peppermints, and when Pig-wig needed help, he was brave and helped her get away.
🐖 Meet the characters
Pigling Bland
A sensible little pig in a blue jacket. He is kind and brave, and he would love a little garden of his own.
Alexander
Pigling's brother, in a green jacket. He is cheerful and skips about, but he cannot keep still.
Aunt Pettitoes
The mother of eight little pigs. She has a big family and a big handkerchief.
Pig-wig
A lovely little black pig. She wants to run away home, and Pigling helps her.
Mr. Piperson
A grumpy old farmer with a lantern. He keeps hens, and he locks his cupboard.
🪧 What happened?
What a long journey for Pigling Bland! Look at each picture, read the clue, and tap the right answer.
For grown-ups: every clue comes from Beatrix Potter's story. Tap 🔈 to hear each one.
1. What did Pigling and Alexander need to go to market?
2. What did Aunt Pettitoes give them in screws of paper?
3. What did Pigling find at the cross-roads?
4. What did Mr. Piperson carry home in the night?
5. What did Pig-wig ask Pigling to make?
6. What did the two pigs cross, hand in hand?
Score: 0 of 6
🔤 New words
Tap 🔈 to hear a word and what it means.
licence
A paper that says you are allowed to do something. Each pig needed a licence to go to market.
market
A busy place where people buy and sell things, like eggs, hens and pigs.
sign-post
A post with arms that point the way, and say how far it is to each place.
peppermint
A minty sweet. Pigling saves his peppermints for when they are really needed.
porridge
A warm, soft breakfast made from oats cooked in milk or water.
hamper
A big basket with a lid. Mr. Piperson carries hens in one.
🐽 The Pigling Bland quiz
How much do you remember? Tap the right answer for each question.
For grown-ups: each question has a 🔈 button so pre-readers can hear it. Works with a keyboard too (Tab to move, Enter to choose).
1. How many little pigs did Aunt Pettitoes have?
2. Who went back home with the policeman?
3. Why did Alexander have no licence?
4. What did Pigling wish he could do?
5. What colour is Pig-wig?
6. How did the story end?
Score: 0 of 6
💬 Let's talk about it
There are no wrong answers. Talk with a grown-up or a friend.
How do you think Pigling felt when he had to go on all by himself?
Pigling saved his peppermints for later. What would you save?
Can you count the eight little pigs in the first picture?
How did Pigling help Pig-wig? When have you helped a friend?
Pigling wanted a little garden. What would you grow?