Sam has a pretty good idea what the "Bad Wolf" references in the new Who refer to, but when I read this:
For those who don't already know, the Big Bad Wolf is traditionally the villain of the fairytale "The Three Little Pigs". The story is very simple; three pigs build a house each, out of straw, wood and bricks respectively. The Big Bad Wolf comes to each one in turn and calls the occupant to leave his house. Each responds,"Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin!"causing the wolf to announce,"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!"He succeeds in blowing down the straw and wood houses, but cannot blow down the brick house where the first two pigs eventually take refuge with the third.There is a song based on it. A key line is:
"Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"The other fairy tale which prominently features a wolf is the story "Little Red Riding Hood". Here, a young girl with a red cape and hood sets off to deliver food to her housebound grandmother in the forest. The wolf takes a shortcut and beats her to it, eating the grandmother and dressing up in her clothes. Following a brief exchange:
"Grandma, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see you with, my dear."
"What big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear you with."
"But Grandma, what big teeth you have!"
"All the better to EAT you with!!"
the wolf also eats Red. Then I think there's a happy ending which involves a woodcutter.
I can't help but wonder: in all of Western civilisation, is there anyone alive over the age of three who needs to have these traditional references explained?
