The Three Little Pigs is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. The Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house, made of bricks. Printed versions date back to the 1840s, but the story itself is thought to be much older. The phrases used in the story, and the various morals drawn from it, have become embedded in Western culture. Many versions of The Three Little Pigs have been recreated or have been modified over the years, sometimes making the wolf a kind character. It is a type B124 folktale in the Aarne–Thompson classification system.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Practical Pig & The Three Little Pigs (1934-1935)[]
To promote the Silly Symphonies animated short titled "The Three Little Pigs", Walt Disney designed a balloon based on Practical Pig, the pig with the brick house. It was one of Disney's many balloons featured in 1934 Parade, along with his arch-nemesis, The Big Bad Wolf. The Balloon was accompanied by smaller Little Pigs that were behind Him. Practical Pig made his second and last appearance in 1935 before the balloon was retired and sometime after this the balloon was disposed of.
Another, rather smaller balloon, was also constructed for the parade, appearing alongside the Practical Pig balloon in its appearances. The balloon was retired with the Practical Pig balloon, but it made three more appearances in the Santason Parade in Boston in 1935, 1936 and 1940, before it became one of many balloons donated to the U.S. military as part of the 650 pounds of rubber for the war efforts in World War II.
The Three Little Pigs (1969-1971)[]
In 1969, Walt Disney Productions sponsored a mini float for that year's Parade. The float was recycled from the 1967 Peanuts float, depicting Practical Pig's brick house as the pigs danced around in front while the Big Bad Wolf appeared on the chimney, trying to sneak in. It'd appear for two more Parades, before retiring after the 1971 Parade.
The Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf (1979-1980)[]
In 1979 and 1980, the Three Little Pigs appeared as Pole Puppets, serving as escorts for the Mother Goose float. A few decades later, in 2000, PulteGroup sponsored a float based on the famous story. It lasted for three years before retiring after the 2002 Parade.