The Fourth Little Pig’s House Was Made Of…

by Michael Ware | Mar 27, 2022

“The fourth little pig’s house was made of wolf skulls.  They aren’t very sturdy, but they send a message.”

I searched and searched to find original accreditation for this but never produced anything.  I”m told it is a meme rather than an artist’s cartoon.  Either way, I happened across this meme the other day and started laughing out loud.  My daughter, 12, wanted to see what all the hubbub was about, so I let her look at it.  She smiled and I went about my business.  Later it donned on me that I hadn’t sought or offered any context for this image, so I asked her what it meant to her.  “Don’t mess with the pig…”  I thought her answer was a solid one.

But there is deeper yet much to consider.  We know the story of the 3 little pigs.  There truly is a lot going on there.  The narrative builds in most recited versions of the story, and the pigs triumph over the wolf.  They needed quick thinking, did they not?  Their early attempts weren’t successful.  The wolf was persistent.  The pigs weren’t initially prepared but got that way over time.  There is plenty more, but you understand the basics of the cautionary tale.

The story of the 3 little pigs does, in fact, offer a nice fable to for children.  But I’ll admit freely the adult idea of a warning sign to the predatory wolf in the view of the 4th pig appeals to my nature.  If you pay attention at all in the world you see people, and sometimes even properties, that scream “don’t mess with me” and what do your senses do?  They alert you to this situation and when you’re wise you take heed.

As a parent to children I’m teaching and training up, I think about their preparedness and mental acuity all the time.  I often go through with my daughter Cooper’s Color Code for self-defense awareness and we watch people together.  I’m training her, and eventually my son, to pay attention to others and what ‘state’ they’re in.  This will manifest itself with her becoming situationally aware and not with her eyes glued to her smartphone.  I believe I can eventually quantify for you this will aid her in being a far less likely victim and quite possibly proving to be a person who comes to the aid of others.  Those things can’t happen ordinarily if we don’t pay attention to our surroundings.

I’m not sure if I want my kids to scream “don’t mess with me” with something as outward as a home built of skulls, a moat full of sharks, or a fence adorn with concertina wire.  But…  I DO want them to be seen as people who are paying strict attention to all that surrounds them.  That, in and of itself, should be enough to do two important things.  One, it’ll tell any attacker or predator this prey isn’t going to allow a blind attack, which almost always sends the predator elsewhere.  And, two, it will build self-confidence and all the character traits that often accompany it.  …And that’s the direction we should be going as Americans.

Kudos to the Fourth Pig.  As for the Wolf?  A vegan lifestyle is your best bet, pal…  Your shenanigans won’t be tolerated here.

In Liberty,

Michael Ware
IFC