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THE SHEEP AND THE PIG THAT MADE A HOME
A Norse Folk Tale
Once upon a time there was a sheep, and he started
out into the world to build himself a home. First
he went to the pig and he said:
“There is nothing like having a home of your
own. If you are of my way of thinking, we will
go into the woods and build a house and live by
ourselves”
Yes, the pig was quite willing. “It’s nice to be
in good company,” said he, and off they started.
When they had got a bit on the way, they met a
goose.
“Good day, my good people. Where are you off
to?” said the goose.
“Good day,” answered the sheep. “We’re off to
the woods to build us a house and live by our-
selves.”
“Well, I’m very comfortable where I am,” said
the goose. “But why shouldn’t I join you?”
“Neither hut nor house can be built by gobbling
and quacking,” said the pig. “What can you do to
help us build?”
“I can pluck moss and stuff it into the holes
between the logs so the house will be warm and cosy,”
said the goose.
“Very well, you may come along then.” said the
sheep and the pig.
When they had gone a bit on the way — the goose
was not getting along very fast — they met a hare,
who came scampering out of the woods.
“Good day, my good people,” said the hare.
“Where are you going to-day?”
“Good day,” answered the sheep. “We*re off to
the woods to build a house and live by ourselves.
When you have tried both East and West, you*ll
find that a home of your own is the best.”
Well,” said the hare, “I live comfortably in every
bush, but still Tve a good mind to go and build
the home with you.”
“But what can you do to
help us build?” asked the
pig. “Nothing at all, I
should say.”
“There is always some-
thing for willing hands to
do in this world,” said the
hare. “I have sharp teeth
to gnaw pegs with, and I
have paws to knock them
into the walls; so Til do
very well for a carpenter,”
said the hare.
“Well, you may come along with us then,” said
the sheep, the pig, and the goose.
When they had got a bit further on the way,
they met a cock.
“Good day, my good people,” said the cock. “Where
are you all going to-day?”
“Good day,” said the sheep. “We’re off to the
woods to build a house and live by ourselves. For,
unless at home you bake, what will you do for bread
and cake?”
“Well, I am comfortable enough where I am,”
said the cock, “but it’s bet-
ter to have your own roost,
than to sit on a neighbor’s
roost and crow, and that
cock is best off who has a
home of his own. If I could
join such good company as
yours, I, too, should like to
go to the woods and build
a house”
“Flapping and crowing is
all very well for noise, but
it won’t build a house,” said the pig. “How can
you help us to build?”
“It is not well to live in a house where there is
neither a dog nor a cock to awaken you in the
morning,” answered the cock. “I rise very early
and can awaken you all with my crowing.”
“Early to rise makes one happy and wealthy and
wise,” said the pig, who found it very hard to wake
up in the morning. “Let the cock come along then,
so we’ll lose no good daylight in sleeping, but be
up with the sun and at work.”
So they all set off to the woods and built the
house. The pig cut down the trees and the sheep
dragged them home; the hare was the carpenter,
and gnawed pegs and hammered them into walls
and roof; the goose plucked moss and stuffed it
into the little holes between the logs; the cock crew
and took care that they did not oversleep them-
selves in the mornings. When the house was ready
and the roof covered with birch-bark and thatched
with grass, they all lived together and were both
happy and contented in each others’ company.
They often, all of them, said:
“It’s pleasant to travel both East and West,
But home is, after all, the best.”
