The Power of Three
By: Gillian Mullin
(https://oakhouseschool.com/young/the-three-little-pigs/)
It is quite clear that the number three seems to come up time and time again in fairytales. We know the story of “Goldilocks and The Three Bears” and “The Three Little Pigs”. However, we can also see the number three in other stories such as Cinderella, there are three sisters. In other stories characters are granted three wishes or given three gifts.
To begin I want to look further into “The Three Little Pigs”. The story was written by James Halliwell Philips but first published by Joseph Jacobs in 1890. The three pigs serve as the main characters for the story and complete things in three. For example, they each build their own house creating three houses (one of straw, one of sticks, and lastly one of bricks).
(https://www.carloscamara.es/en/blog/2019/09/05/the-three-little-pigs-is-a-fairy-tale/)
We see the classic signs of a fairy tale in this version as the pigs lack names and details. However, in Andrew Langs version published in 1892 not only are the pigs named, (Browny, Whitey, and Blacky) but we are also given descriptions of the characters and how they interact with one another. The three houses are also built of different materials (mud, cabbage, and brick). As for the ending the third pig saves both his siblings instead of them dying in the original. Lang kept the power of three throughout his version of the story however, he created a less flat telling and provided more details as well as changing the wolf to a fox.
Since these early versions of the story many more takes on the tale have been produced, including tv shows, films, and more books. Simon Hood produced a version in 2019 where she kept the three little pigs but changed their genders to include both male and female pigs. We also see spin offs where there are three wolves and an evil pig instead. However, no matter how many different versions are created the majority of them continue to keep the number three in use.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Little_Pigs)
As for other stories the same concept of three being used is applied. For example, we see in “The Tinder Box” by Hans Christian Anderson multiple references to the number three. Below the tree there are three doors, three forms of wealth (copper, silver, and gold) and there are three different dogs referenced.
However, we can also see the power of the number three in aspects other than fairytales. For example, in Christianity the power of three is seen as The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The number three is also referenced multiple times throughout the bible including the three wise men and Jesus rising on the third day. The number three is also seen in many other religions including Buddhism and Hinduism.
(https://mysticalnumbers.com/number-3/)
The concept of time is seen in three as well with past, present, and future. Many individuals also think of the power of three in reference to earth, heaven, and hell. And of course I cannot forget to mention the famous three wise monkeys (hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil). Regardless of the concept it is clear the number three is an important number to our society and has been since the beginning of fairy tales.
(https://www.123rf.com/photo_35588575_the-three-wise-monkeys.html)
