Manny, Mello and Millie sat under the mango tree wondering what’s going to happen now that their mother lost her job in the worst economic crisis the world has ever seen since the depression. Misty told the pigs that things are going to be a little bit tight and as soon as they turned sixteen, they would have to find jobs. The pigs’ father ran off with Misty’s best friend soon after they were born, leaving her to care for them as a single mother. They heard he was living in Florida and had ten other pigs.
Manny was the oldest of the triplets and pushy, always trying to get everyone to focus on the bigger picture. Mello is quiet but assertive and poetic. He wants to be a rapper and loves Tupac. Millie is sweet, kind and cares about the environment. She wants to be an activist and a teacher. Misty couldn’t be prouder of how ambitious her pigs were.
One afternoon, Misty went out to get food and asked her neighbour; retired banker Polly to watch the pigs for her. Polly was all too excited to help Misty; offering to even show them how to shop online. Polly eyed the pigs with such intensity that they thought she could see their insides. They shivered with fear and looked away.
Before Polly moved to Hogley Park she lived in Bushyville, a big city on the northern edge of Sunnyvale. She worked in the financial industry as an investment banker but after the financial crash, she lost her job and million-dollar condo. All she had left was an expiring gym membership and just enough money to stay afloat for about a year. Polly loved fashion and shopping and going to the gym. She also had a secret which if revealed would send shockwaves rippling throughout the whole town. Polly knew that if she wanted to keep on trend, she needed to make some money, so she decided to create a business plan. Can’t live a champagne lifestyle on a Pepsi budget, she thought to herself. I’ll open up a butcher shop right here she thought cunningly, turning this way and that to look at the massive expanse of trees and shrubbery. There were lots of pigs on the island, so selling pork chops won’t be a problem. Perfect place to be inconspicuous unless there’s some nosey nutjob in these parts she guffawed.
As the day wore on, Manny, Mello and Millie settled in front of the TV watching their favourite travel show. They dreamed of going to the places they saw on Porky’s Travel Adventures, thinking of how much fun they’d have on those rollercoaster and lazy river rides.
“Just look at how high that rollercoaster is”, Millie said, a silly smile forming on her face and her eyes wide. “We really have to get jobs soon so we can do all that stuff.”
“Hey, good thing we’re turning sixteen next week,” Mello chimed in as he jumped onto the couch. “Mom can hardly take care of us anymore, and I want to live as luxuriously as Porky. Even his dog wears designer digs!”
“Yeah, you only care about designer clothes and the latest trends,” Manny said angrily to Mello. “We need money and food to survive. You have to focus!”
“Sure Manny, you might be five minutes older than the rest of us but you’re not the boss” Millie said.
They started bickering and yelling at each other when the door squeaked open. It was their mom. She looked tired. “What are you three fighting about now?” she asked wearily. “Come on in to the kitchen, I got us some food.” They bounded out the door behind their mother. The food smelled delightful. Their stomachs growled as Misty puts the bags on the table. “Polly, we’re about to eat if you want some,” Misty yelled to Polly who was still looking at clothes on the computer. She was in a bidding war on eBay for a trench coat once worn by Michael Jackson. “I’m fine”, Polly yelled back. I’m gonna head home.” Dinner was green Thai curry with coconut milk, jasmine rice and pineapple-cucumber salad. Dessert was chocolate mango mousse which was their favourite.
“How’d you get all this food mom?” Manny asked. “I thought you didn’t have any money.”
“I used the last of our savings in the bank,” Misty replied. “Speaking of which, you all have to figure out how to open your own bank accounts. Polly can help you since she’s always on that darn computer. You’ll need cellphones as well.” “Mom, there’s something weird about Polly,” Millie said with attentive curiosity. “And she smells like a wet dog sometimes.” “That’s not very nice,” said Misty with a chuckle. “It’s true though,” Millie continued. “She’s built like a line-backer too and wears way too much makeup.”
“How are we going to get cellphones mom?” asked Mello quietly. “I’ll ask Polly to help,” Misty replied patting Mello’s head and giving him a kiss. “Don’t you worry, everything is going to be fine.”
“Hmmm…. there’s just something about Polly,” said Manny getting up to clear the table. They went to bed not long after. Late into the night, an ominous figure appeared at the pigs’ bedroom window. Dressed in a trench coat and hat, the shadowy frame drew a slow breath and licked its lips revealing long fangs. Its eyes burned with more than hunger as it looked in at the sleeping pigs. Millie stirred a little bit scaring the mystery being. It ran away so fast, its trench coat got caught on a nearby rosebush revealing a big fluffy tail.
In the newspaper the next day, it was reported that demand for pigs’ tails and pork chops in Hogley Park was at an all-time high. Polly’s butcher shop was struggling because she couldn’t pay the suppliers and so she lost all of her customers to the big city butchery. What am I going to do, Polly thought to herself when an idea popped into her head. “I know!”, she said grinning cunningly. “I’ll make pork chops outta those three little pigs.” “But first I’ve got to catch ‘em,” Polly brooded. “I can’t let them blow my cover either,” “they’d lose the hairs on their chinny-chin-chins if they ever knew I was the big bad wolf dressed as a woman.” Polly moved quickly to put her plan in place. On Amazon, she ordered zip ties, rope, knives, a lock pick set and tarp. She drove to Rent Me, a company in a central part of the town and rented a van from the friendly woman behind the counter. That afternoon, Polly gathered everything she bought and placed them in the van. She would strike tonight when the pigs were asleep.
At midnight, she drove the van to the back of the pigs’ house making sure to be as quiet as possible. Lock picking tools in hand, she made her way inside the house, through the kitchen. She tiptoed to the pigs’ bedroom with the rope, zip ties and a knife. Manny’s bed was the closest to the door but he was a light sleeper and stirred when he felt the presence of someone in the room. As he woke up fully, he tried to get out of bed but Polly grabbed him from behind and jabbed the knife under his neck. Manny screamed, waking up Mello and Millie. Mello jumped on Polly’s back and punched her in the head several times. Polly’s disguise came apart revealing thick wolf fur. Misty came running into the room when she heard the commotion. “What is going on in here?” she asked, an exasperated look on her face. “Mom, Polly has been a wolf this whole time,” said Millie. “That’s what’s going on! She came here to kill us and sell our meat.” Misty was stunned and seemed unable to move. By now Manny and Mello had Polly bound with zip ties on the floor as she huffed, puffed and snapped at them. They managed to get the wolf out of the house and down to the butcher shop. When everyone in Hogley Park
heard what happened that night, they decided to have a big dinner party for the three little pigs and their mom. Who knew wolves made such delicious curry.
