The Practical Pig

The Practical Pig is a Silly Symphony cartoon. It was released on February 24, 1939, and directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs. Like its predecessors, The Practical Pig incorporates the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?". Unlike its predecessors however, its title cards labeled it as a standalone Three Little Pigs cartoon, suggesting that they were to get their own series of cartoons. It is also the second-to-last Silly Symphony cartoon. Plot Practical Pig is hard at work building a new anti-wolf contraption, this time a lie detector. His two brothers, Fiddler and Fifer Pig decide to go swimming, despite Practical's warning about the Big Bad Wolf lurking by the pond. The Big Bad Wolf disguises as a mermaid to lure Fiddler and Fifer and captures them and bringing them to an old windmill where his sons the Three Little Wolves are waiting for their dinner, but tells them they must not eat until he captures Practical. The Wolf plans to entrap Practical as well using a fake letter requesting help by his brothers. While the wolf is off to capture Practical, the Three Little Wolves start early to put the two pigs into a pan and prepare to bake them into a pie. The Wolf, disguised as a messenger boy, blows his cover when he blows the fake letter under Practical's door. Realizing the wolf is up to his tricks and his brothers have been captured, Practical tries out his new invention. As the wolf attempts to lure Practical, the welcome mat opens under the wolf's feet, and the wolf falls into the pit below. He is next seen strapped in a chair in the basement, captured, as Practical demands to know his brothers' whereabouts. The wolf first he claims he has never heard of Practical's brothers and secondly he claims he hasn't seen them, but the lie detector detects his lies and punishes the wolf with brushes to wash his mouth out with soap and spank him in each case. The wolf then lastly tries to fool the machine by claiming that he and Practical are pals, but the lie detector sees through this and gives him the works (a spanking and a mouth washing, along with his knuckles being whacked with rulers, all at once). Back at the wolves' hideout, the Three Little Wolves are about to bake Fifer and Fiddler into the oven as the two pigs tell them they'll be sorry when their father comes home.