French to English Art/Literary Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. Book about fighting depression

Here's a passage of a book that's often quite humorous in its advice for beating depression:

Le troisième ongulé eut une attitude, et donc un sort, différents. Il médita, planifia, **retroussa son groin à défaut de ses manches**, et, petit à petit, à force de travail et de réflexion, éleva une résidence tout aussi bien pensée et exécutée qu'un château fort...

Now, it seems to be a reference to the story "Three Little Pigs", although I haven't been able to prove it. But "he wrinkled his snout instead of rolling up his sleeves"? I clearly need something a lot less literal, and there's the added complication that this pig did indeed metaphorically roll up his sleeves, building a solid wolf-proof house "à force de travail", Does it actually make total sense in the French, I wonder, or is there a slight contradiction there?