Mary Rayner Quotes

“One evening Mother Pig called the children to her as they were playing all over the house. ‘Now piglets,’ she said, ‘your father and I are going out this evening.’ There was a chorus of groans. ‘Not far,’ said Mrs Pig, ‘and I’ve asked a very nice lady to come and look after you.’ “

“I’m sure you’ll find that this babysitter will be very nice. Now get along into your baths and I’ll come and tuck you up before we go out.”

“The piglets took as long as they could having their baths and made a great many puddles and splashes in the bathroom, but at last Mother Pig got them upstairs.”

“He was putting on his smart shirt which he always wore when they went out. It was dark blue, and Mrs Pig liked him to wear it because she thought it made him look thinner. Unfortunately, the buttons would keep coming undone. So that that everyone always noticed how very tight the shirt had become. Mrs Pig struggled to get it done up.”

“At that moment Mr Pig called through to say that he was quite ready, and with many farewell kisses and hugs for the children Mr and Mrs Pig went out for the evening with light hearts.”

“After a while Mrs Wolf began to feel empty, so she went into the kitchen. But she didn’t turn on the kettle. No. She turned on the oven. Then she tiptoed up to the piglet’s bedroom.”

“As soon as they were back on their feet they circled round her so that the blanket was wrapped tighter and tighter. Then they tied the four corners together so that she could not possibly get out, and left her in the middle of the kitchen.”

“Father Pig went out into the night and carried the blanket bundle to the middle of the bridge. There he leant over the parapet and shook Mrs Wolf into the swirling depths of the big river. And she was not heard of again for a very long time.”

“ ‘The children are just getting into their beds. They sleep in bunk beds, ‘ she explained, and so they did. Two to a bed, head to tail, stacked five beds high.”

“ ‘Would you mind telling me what you are called?’ said Mrs Pig. ‘The children would like to know.’ ‘It’s Mrs Wolf,’ said the babysitter, crossing a pair of dark hairy legs and getting out her knitting.”