Three Little Pigs: NCERT Class 1 English Story (Marigold Unit 1)

etmantra12 Mar 20209 min read

Children love this story because they can join in with the wolf's huffing and puffing. It is full of repeated lines, which helps young learners remember and say the words. It also shows, in a simple way, why a strong house matters.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 1, unit 1. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: Three Little Pigs

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Words for building things: straw, sticks, bricks
Describing words: big, bad, little, strong
Joining in with repeated lines in a story
Why a strong house keeps us safe

What the story is about

Three little pigs, Sonu, Monu and Gonu, each have a house. Sonu's house is made of straw, Monu's is made of sticks, and Gonu's is made of bricks. A big bad wolf comes to Sonu's house, huffs and puffs, and blows it down. Sonu runs to Monu's house.

The wolf then blows down Monu's house of sticks too, so Sonu and Monu run to Gonu. At Gonu's brick house, the wolf huffs and puffs, but he cannot blow it down, because it is very strong. The wolf goes away, and the three pigs live happily together in the red brick house.

New words, with Hindi meanings

straw: dry stalks of plants, light and easy to break (हिंदी: भूसा)
sticks: thin pieces of wood from a tree (हिंदी: लकड़ियाँ)
bricks: hard blocks used to build strong walls (हिंदी: ईंटें)
wolf: a wild animal that looks like a big dog (हिंदी: भेड़िया)
huffed: blew out air hard (हिंदी: ज़ोर से फूँका)
strong: hard to break (हिंदी: मज़बूत)
together: with each other, in one place (हिंदी: एक साथ)

Explained in Hindi

If your child finds the English hard, watch this explanation of the story and its word meanings in Hindi, then go back to the English video.

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What were the names of the three little pigs?
What was each pig's house made of?
Why could the wolf not blow down Gonu's house?
What is your house made of? Who lives with you in it?

Answers for parents

Sonu, Monu and Gonu.
Sonu's house was made of straw, Monu's of sticks and Gonu's of bricks.
Because Gonu's brick house was very strong.
For example: My house is made of bricks. I live in it with my mother, father and grandmother.

Grammar corner: Describing words (adjectives)

A describing word tells us more about a person, animal or thing. In "a big wolf", the word "big" tells us what the wolf is like. Describing words often come just before the naming word.

The little pig ran very fast.
The wolf had a loud voice.
Gonu lives in a strong house.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: Gonu's house was made of ___.
Match each pig to its house: Sonu, Monu, Gonu with sticks, bricks, straw.
Say one sentence about your own house using the word "strong".

Answers: 1. bricks · 2. Sonu: straw; Monu: sticks; Gonu: bricks · 3. For example: My house has strong walls.

Try this

Act out the story. One person is the wolf and the others are the pigs. Make the straw house fall with a small huff, the stick house with a bigger puff, and then let the wolf try very hard at the brick house while the pigs hold on. Say the wolf's line together each time. You can also build a tower with books or blocks and see how strong it is.

Tip for parents

Tell the story first in Hindi: तीन छोटे सूअर, भूसे का घर, लकड़ी का घर और ईंटों का घर. Then tell the same part in English, pointing to pictures or things at home for straw, sticks and bricks. If your child says "ईंट house", smile, say "brick house" back, and praise them for trying.

Questions parents ask

Who are the characters in Three Little Pigs?

The three little pigs, Sonu, Monu and Gonu, and a big bad wolf.

What is the moral of Three Little Pigs?

The story shows that a house built strong, like Gonu's brick house, keeps everyone safe. The pigs also help each other by sharing one house at the end.

Which book and class is Three Little Pigs from?

It is Unit 1 of Marigold, NCERT's older English book for Class 1. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 1 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →