The Three Little Pigs: A Parable

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. They heard that a great wolf had moved into the area, so they immediately set about the business of building houses to defend themselves. The first built his house from straw, the second from sticks, the third from brick.

"You fool," cried the second pig to the first. "Why, you've built your house from straw! I can see right through it! It won't protect you at all."

"You are both fools," cried the third, "You mock the first pig, but your house is built only from sticks. From my house of brick, I can see right through both of your houses. They won't protect you at all."

"You are the real fool," retorted the first, "for you may have a fine brick house, but what if he comes in the chimney? It won't protect you at all. For that matter, how are you going to make bricks without my straw?"

And so they debated into the night, forgetting that the real problem was the not the house, or the materials, but the wolf.