In fairy tales, the Big Bad Wolf is always portrayed as the entity of ultimate evil. They steal the flocks, destroy the homes, and devour poor old grandma. They have a thing for little girls in red carrying baskets of treats for the aforementioned grandmother.

But why are things this way? Why is he always the villain? What if the little girl bore her throat to his bite on that dark night? What if she wanted to feel his bite, or to taste the remnants of his latest kill upon those white fangs?

Perhaps this little girl wanted to be rebellious. She wanted to go out and get herself into trouble. Maybe she was looking for a cheap thrill. Maybe she is the despicable character here, not the poor wolf who she decided to latch onto.

Or she may have overestimated herself, thinking that she could tame the fierce beast that rested in his soul. How surprised was she when his jaws clamped down about that pretty little neck, snapping the bones as though twigs. And how did she feel as he did it? Did she honestly expect much else?
And what about those pigs? Three of them, brothers, against one lone wolf. They claim their actions were defense, and yet perhaps they may be no more than murderers themselves.

Why do we trust their word only? Who’s to say a single bit of it is true? How are we supposed to know if those siblings are telling the truth? How hard would it be for them to lie? A house of straw and of twigs. How hard would they be to destroy?
Who knows that they did not invite in the wolf? Maybe they brought him in and sat him down in their good chair. Maybe they rubbed his tired feet. And about the time he got nice and at-home, they shoved him into the pot. We hear of people doing things just as atrocious to each other, so who can say these animals would not be capable of it as well?

And when he was done, they ate what remained. The ‘prey’ become the predator. It would be short work to fool others by destroying their homes – maybe they even benefited from this act. Who would have reason not to believe their claim of foul play? It was the Big Bad Wolf, after all.

He is always just the Big Bad Wolf.