This Little Piggy

"This Little Piggy" is played on a baby's toes, one piggy per toe, from the one that "went to market" to the one that cried "wee, wee, wee" all the way home, usually capped with a tickle up the foot. The opening line goes back to 1728, the full five-toe version to about 1760.

Origins

The earliest known record of the rhyme's opening line, "This little piggy went to market," is found in a medley titled "The Nurse's Song" published in 1728. The complete version of the rhyme, containing all five verses matching the five toes, was first published in London around 1760 in the collection The Famous Tommy Thumb's Little Story-Book.

Meaning & Interpretation

On the surface, the rhyme is a simple counting game that assigns a playful activity to each toe. However, the lyrics reflect historical agricultural life. In eighteenth-century England, taking animals to market meant selling them, often for slaughter, which is the likely fate of the first piggy. The piggy that stayed home represents animals kept for breeding or future farming needs. The "roast beef" eaten by the third piggy reflects foods occasionally fed to livestock, while the crying of "wee, wee, wee" alludes to the squeals of a frightened animal escaping.

When was This Little Piggy first published?

The complete five-line version of the rhyme was first published around 1760 in The Famous Tommy Thumb's Little Story-Book. An earlier single-line reference appeared in 1728 in "The Nurse's Song."

What is the game played with This Little Piggy?

The rhyme is traditionally played as a toe-counting game. A caregiver holds the child's foot and wiggles each toe in turn, starting with the big toe for the first line and ending with the little toe, followed by a playful tickle up the leg or foot.