Heckedy Peg

Heckedy Peg is another delightful book by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood. It is the story of a poor mother who has seven children named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. One day, the mother must go to market, and she asks each child what they would like her to bring home. She warns them before she leaves, "Now be careful, and remember-don't let a stranger in and don't touch fire." Along comes Heckedy Peg to tempt the children.

I'm Heckedy Peg.
I've lost my leg.
Let me in!

At first, the children heed their mother's warning, but eventually the are bribed by the promise of a sack of gold. Heckedy Peg turns all of the children into food and sits down to eat when the mother returns. After three tries, Heckedy Peg finally lets her in. "Here are your children, " she said. "If you can't guess them right the first time, I'll eat them for supper." The mother ingeniously figures out who each child is by what they wanted from town, as it goes accordingly with the kind of food Heckedy Peg turned each child into.

Bread wants butter. That's Monday.
Pie wants knife. That's Tuesday.
Milk wants a pitcher. That's Wednesday.
Porridge wants honey. That's Thursday.
Fish wants salt. That's Friday.
Cheese wants crackers. That's Saturday.
And roast rib wants egg pudding. That's Sunday.

My children love this story! It demonstrates the love of a mother, as well as why it is important to heed the warnings of your parents. Also, children learn the days of the week from the children's names and the illustrations are amazing!