Advent - Getting Ready

It is time now for me to tell you the story of the three little pigs.

That’s right the Story of the three little pigs.

Once upon a time there were three little pigs - There was Horace and

Maurice and Doris.

The Mama pig whos name was Loris and her husband Boris had a problem.

Basically no room in the sty - Horace and Maurice and Doris had really

grown and they were of such an age that Loris and Boris no longer

received family support for them. Lately the little pigs - had been

taking up a little too much space in the sty. Horace had been

challenging his father about some of the decisions he had been making -

like where the feeding trough should go and stuff like that - Maurice

had some really exciting plans on how to run some seminars on keeping a

tidy sty - which Mum Loris had got up in a bit of a huff about - and

worse than that Doris had taken it on herself to do all Mum’s cooking

and she had gotten to be such a big pig that there simply wasn’t enough

room in the kitchen. Mum Loris was expecting a new litter right on

Christmas and Pappa Boris was worried about what he could do and how he

could provide for all these pigs.

It was at that time that pappa Boris saw an advertisement for a seminar

- not another seminar screamed Mama Loris - but Pappa Boris had gone.

That seminar was called. - How to be a productive pig. At the seminar

Pappa Boris learned that the task of Pigs is to produce more pigs - and

their task is to produce even more pigs and that requires bringing home

the bacon.

At the sound of the words bacon some pigs went quite pink in the face

and a couple fainted. But the teacher pointed out that pigs to be

fulfilled needed to sacrifice themselves.

Pappa Boris thought about his three children Horace and Maurice and

Doris tucked up snugly and safely in their straw back home. Why they

were scarcely adults - During question time Pappa pig put up his

trotter - "Excuse me " he said politely. "Can I ask how they can produce

more pigs when there is no room in the sty? Why if we had any more

litters in our sty it would be litterly a - a - a PIGSTY." He roared.

"Quite right." said the lecturer an elderly visiting Sheep with a long

white beard and a kindly look. "What your pigs need to do is to leave

the sty and go out into the world and multiply."

AT THAT A DEATHLY HUSH FELL OVER THE GATHERED ASSEMBLY OF PIGS.

"Excuse me for butting in Mr Ramsey" said Papa Boris. " But isn’t that

dangerous - what about the Big bad wolf why he is lurking around

everywhere - why he would gobble up our little pigs like nothing else."

"Well." said Mr Ramsey. "I think you will find that most of them will

survive."

"Anyway!!" thundered Papa Boris "We’d miss them."

"Maybe" said Mr Ramsey. "But I bet you’re getting on each others nerves

right now - stepping on each others trotters eh? Everyone sticking their

snout in where it isn’t required?"

"Well a little maybe." admitted Papa Boris "But we’d still miss them."

"Of course you will." said Ramsey "But you can get together once a week

in the barn and you’ll be surprised how much your family will grow once

you get out there in the world."

"Well I just don’t know." said Papa pig and he went home shaking his

head. That night tucked up in their cramped bed Papa and Mama talked

about it - they were still talking when Henry rooster announced the new

day.

"Children." said Papa pig. "I have an announcement to make."

"What can this be?" Horace Maurice and Doris asked themselves. "Could it

be that they’re going to move out and give us more room?"

"From today." announced Papa pig. "You Doris and Horace and Maurice are

to go out into the world. On your own - fend for yourself."

"What!!" screamed the three pigs -"Us go out into the world - like get a

reality check - there’s a big bad world out there - there is inflation

- traffic jams - robberies and violence - and whata bout the Big bad

wolf? The wide world is no place for a self respecting pig. No we’re

staying put."

The cold clank of the sty door left a hollow sound as Horace and Doris

and Maurice set out to seek their fortune - we don’t have time to tell

you the whole story of straw, stick and brick nor of how they