The eldest pig said: "Mom gave me a five dollar bill and ten quarters, so we can have two quarters each now [making half a dollar each], and when we get change, I'll divide up the rest." They each took their share; but as they entered the mall, a pack of three young wolves came up to them. The biggest said: "Out shopping, kids? Come with us. We've got some goodies you'd like. Candies and toys. We'll show you." But the youngest said boldly: "Mommy told us not to go with people we don't know." Just then, two big, burly hogs in blue uniform, mall security, came round the corner, and the wolf pack took to their heels. But as they ran off, some money fell out of their pockets. The twins picked it up and counted it: a quarter, two dimes and a nickel [fifty cents in all]. One of the security men said: "You were very lucky. They must have been up to no good, or they wouldn't have run off. Keep the money, and be careful who you talk to."
After they had gone, the eldest pig said: "If we divide the money they dropped, we'll have another ten cents each." Off they went into the nearest candy store, where there were some candy bars for eighty-five cents each." So the eldest bought five candy bars for them all [for four dollars and a quarter] with the bill and worked out that, if he kept the change from the bill [which was seventy-five cents] himself, he could share the rest of the money he had [three quarters, two dimes and a nickel] between the other pigs, and they would all have their fair share. They came out of the candy store and did some window shopping in the warmth of the mall. The twins decided to save the rest of their money towards a skate board they wanted to share, while the eldest saved his money towards a video game. The other two bought a comic book between them. Then it was time for the long trot home. The youngest pig suddenly shouted: "There's Mommy!" and they all trotted quickly towards her. She said: "I thought I'd better come and pick you up, because it's started to snow harder."
In the car, the youngest said: "I think I understand decimals and negatives now. Aren't cents like decimals and dollars like whole numbers? At the candy store checkout, the change on the till display was minus zero point seven five, that's minus three quarters of a dollar, isn't it? It's like minus means owing. The store owed us our change."
It only took them five minutes to get home, and they passed the wolves struggling in the snow. The eldest pig decided to work out the speed of the car. If it took them thirty-five minutes to trot and only five minutes by car, it must have been going [seven times] faster so its average speed must have been twenty-one miles an hour [seven times three].
When they got home they told their mom about their visit to the mall, and about the wolves, ... and about learning more about math.
The text in square brackets could be used as deductions or questions posed to an audience of students for whom the story is appropriate. The story is supposed to contain all the given requirements, apart from a picture.