The Remarkable Adventures of an Old Woman and Her Pig An Ancient Tale in a Modern Dress

A little old woman finds a bright silver penny while sweeping her small home and spends it on a charming, black-spotted pig. Her joy quickly turns to frustration when Piggy refuses to cross a stile, leaving them stranded in a meadow as evening approaches and rain threatens.

Determined to get home, she appeals to one unlikely helper after another: a dog, a stick, a fire, water, an ox, a butcher, and a rope. Each refuses—or simply fails—to assist, while the old woman grows more exasperated and inventive in her requests. At last, a veteran rat appears, and she begs him to gnaw through the troublesome rope. Told in lively rhyme and packed with playful repetition, this cheerful traditional tale invites listeners to follow a chain of increasingly unexpected characters and discover what might finally set the old woman and her stubborn purchase on their way.