English
Squintywasalittlepig.Youcouldtellhewasapigjustassoonasyoulookedathim,becausehehadthecutestlittlecurlytail,asthoughitwantedtotieitselfintoabow,butwasnotquitesurewhetherthatwastherightthingtodo.
AndSquintyhadaskinthatwasaspink,underhiswhite,hairybristles,asababy’stoes.
AlsoSquintyhadtheoddestnose!Itwasjustlikearubberball,flattenedout,andwhenSquintymovedhisnoseupanddown,orsideways,ashedidwhenhesmelledthenicesourmilkthefarmerwasbringingforthepigs’dinner,why,whenSquintydidthatwithhisnose,itjustmadeyouwanttolaughrightoutloud.
ButthefunniestpartofSquintywashiseyes,or,rather,oneeye.
Andthateyesquintedjustaswellasanyeyeeversquinted.
Somehoworother,Idon’tjustknowwhyexactly,orIwouldtellyou,thelidofoneofSquinty’seyeswasheavierthantheother.
Thateyeopenedonlyhalfway,andwhenSquintylookedupatyoufromthepen,wherehelivedwithhismotherandfatherandlittlebrothersandsisters,whytherewassuchacomicallookonSquinty’sfacethatyouwantedtolaughrightoutloudagain.
Infact,lotsofboysandgirls,whentheycametolookatSquintyinhispen,couldnothelplaughingwhenhepeeredupatthem,withoneeyewidelyopen,andtheotherhalfshut.
“Oh,whatacomicalpig!”theboysandgirlswouldcry.“Whatishisname?”
“Oh,Iguesswe’llcallhimSquinty,”thefarmersaid;andsoSquintywasnamed.
PerhapsifhismotherhadhadherwayaboutitshewouldhavegivenSquintyanothername,asshedidhisbrothersandsisters.InfactshedidnameallofthemexceptSquinty.
OneofthelittlepigswasnamedWuff-Wuff,anotherCurlyTail,anotherSquealer,anotherWee-Wee,andanotherPuff-Ball.
Thereweresevenpigsinall,andSquintywasthelastone,soyouseehecamefromquitealargefamily.
WhenhismotherhadnamedsixofherlittlepigsshecametoSquinty.
“Letmesee,”gruntedMrs.Piginherownway,foryouknowanimalshavealanguageoftheirownwhichnooneelsecanunderstand.“Letmesee,”saidMrs.Pig,“whatshallIcallyou?”
ShewasthinkingofnaminghimFloppy,becausethelidofoneofhiseyessortoffloppeddown.Butjustthenalotofboysandgirlscamerunningouttothepigpen.
Theboysandgirlshadcomeonavisittothefarmerwhoownedthepigs,andwhentheylookedin,andsawbigMr.andMrs.Pig,andthelittleones,oneboycalledout:
“Oh,whataqueerlittlepig,withoneeyepartlyopen!Andhowfunnyhelooksatyou!Whatishisname?”
“Well,Iguesswe’llcallhimSquinty,”thefarmerhadsaid.Andso,justasIhavetoldyou,Squintygothisname.
“Humph!Squinty!”exclaimedMrs.Pig,assheheardwhatthefarmersaid.“Idon’tknowasIlikethat.”
“Oh,itwilldoverywell,”answeredMr.Pig.
“Itwillsaveyouthinkingupanameforhim.
And,afterall,youknow,hedoessquint.
Notthatitamountstoanything,infactitisratherstylish,Ithink.LethimbecalledSquinty.”
“Allright,”answeredMrs.Pig.SoSquintyitwas.
“Hello,Squinty!”calledtheboysandgirls,givingthelittlepighisnewname.“Hello,Squinty!”
“Wuff!Wuff!”gruntedSquinty.
Thatmeant,inhislanguage,“Hello!”yousee.
ForthoughSquinty,andhismotherandfather,andbrothersandsisters,couldunderstandmantalk,andboyandgirltalk,theycouldnotspeakthatlanguagethemselves,buthadtotalkintheirownway.
Nearlyallanimalsunderstandourtalk,eventhoughtheycannotspeaktous.Justlookatadog,forinstance.Whenyoucalltohim:“Comehere!”doesn’thecome?Ofcoursehedoes.Andwhenyousay:“Liedown,sir!”doesn’theliedown?thatisifheisagooddog,andminds?Heunderstands,anyhow.
Andseehowhorsesunderstandhowtogowhenthedriversays“Gid-dap!”andhowtheystopwhenhesays“Whoa!”
Soyouneednotthinkitstrangethatalittlepigcouldunderstandourkindoftalk,thoughhecouldnotspeakithimself.
Well,Squinty,thecomicalpig,livedwithhismotherandfatherandbrothersandsistersinthefarmer’spenforsometime.
AsthedayswentonSquintygrewfatterandfatter,untilhispinkskin,underhiswhitebristles,wasswelledoutlikeaballoon.
“Hum!”exclaimedthefarmeroneday,asheleanedoverthetopofthepen,tolookdownonthepigs,afterhehadpouredtheirdinnerintothetrough.“Hum!
Thatlittlepig,withthesquintyeye,isgettingprettybig.
Ithoughthewasgoingtobealittlerunt,butheseemstobegrowingasfastastheothers.”
Squintywasgladwhenheheardthat,forhewantedtogrowuptobeafine,largepig.
Thefarmertookacorncob,fromwhichalltheyellowkernelsofcornhadbeenshelled,andwithithescratchedthebackofSquinty.
Pigsliketohavetheirbacksscratched,justascatsliketohaveyourubtheirsmoothfur,orticklethemundertheears.
“Ugh!Ugh!”
gruntedSquinty,lookingupatthefarmerwithhiscomicaleyes,onehalfshutandtheotherwideopen.“Ugh!Ugh!”
Andwithhisoddeyes,andoneearcockedforward,andtheotherfloppingoverbackward,Squintylookedsofunnythatthefarmerhadtolaughoutloud.
“What’sthematter,Rufus?”askedthefarmer’swife,whowasgatheringtheeggs.
“Oh,it’sthispig,”laughedthefarmer.“Hehassuchaqueerlookonhisface!”
“Letmesee!”exclaimedthefarmer’swife.
She,too,lookeddownintothepen.
“Oh,isn’thecomical!”shecried.
Then,beingaverykindlady,andlikingallthefarmanimals,thefarmer’swifewentoutinthepotatopatchandpulledupsomepigweed.
Thisisagreenweedthatgrowsinthegarden,butitdoesnogoodthere.
Insteaditdoesharm,andfarmersliketopullituptogetridofit.
But,ifpigweedisnogoodforthegarden,itisgoodforpigs,andtheyliketochewthegreenleaves.
“Here,Squinty!”calledthefarmer’swife,tossingsomeofthejuicy,greenweedtothelittlepig.“Eatthis!”
“Ugh!Ugh!”gruntedSquinty,andhebegantochewthegreenleaves.Isupposethatwashiswayofsaying:“Thankyou!”
AssoonasSquinty’sbrothersandsisterssawthegreenpigweedthefarmer’swifehadtossedintothepen,uptheyrushedtothetrough,gruntingandsquealing,togetsometoo.
Theypushedandscrambled,andevensteppedintothetrough,soeagerweretheytogetsomethingtoeat;eventhoughtheyhadbeenfedonlyalittlewhilebefore.
Thatisonestrangethingaboutpigs.Theyseemtobealwayshungry.AndSquinty’sbrothersandsisterswerenodifferentfromotherpigs.
Butwaitjustamoment.Theywereabitdifferent,fortheyweremuchcleanerthanmanypigsIhaveseen.
Thefarmerwhoownedthemknewthatpigsdonotliketoliveinmudanddirtanymorethandocowsandhorses,sothisfarmerhadforhispigsanicepen,withadryboardfloor,andplentyofcornhusksfortheirbed.
Theyhadcleanwatertodrink,andashadyplaceinwhichtoliedownandsleep.
Ofcoursetherewasamudbathinthepigpen,for,nomatterhowcleanpigsare,onceinawhiletheyliketorollinthemud.AndI’lltellyouthereasonforthat.
Youseefliesandmosquitoesandotherpestsliketobitepigs.
Thepigsknowthis,andtheyalsoknowthatiftheyrollinthemud,andgetcoveredwithit,themudwillmakeacoatingoverthemtokeepthebitingfliesaway.
Sothatiswhypigsliketorollinthemudonceinawhile,justasyousometimesseeacircuselephantscatterdustoverhisback,todriveawaytheflies.
Andevensuchathick-skinnedanimalasarhinoceroslikestoplasterhimselfwithmudtokeepawaytheinsects.
ButafterSquintyandhisbrothersandsistershadrolledinthemud,theywerealwaysgladwhenthefarmercamewiththegardenhoseandwashedthemcleanagain,sotheirpinkskinsshowedbeneaththeirwhite,hairybristles.
Squintyandtheotherpigsgrewuntiltheywereanicesize.Theyhadnothingtodobuteatandsleep,andofcoursethatwillmakeanyonegrow.
NowSquinty,thoughhewasnotthelargestofthefamilyofpigchildren,wasbyfarthesmartest.
Helearnedmorequicklythandidhisbrothersandsisters,howtoruntothetroughtoeat,whenhismothercalledhim,andhelearnedhowtostandupagainstonesideofthepenandrubhimselfbackandforthtoscratchhissidewhenamosquitohadbittenhiminaplacehecouldnotreachwithhisfoot.
InfactSquintywasalittletoosmart.Hewantedtodomanythingshisbrothersandsistersneverthoughtof.
OnedaywhenSquintyandtheothershadeatentheirdinner,SquintytoldhisbrotherWuff-Wuffthathethoughtitwouldbeanicethingtohavesomefun.
Wuff-Wuffsaidhethoughtso,too,buthedidn’tjustknowwhattodo.Infacttherewasnotmuchonecoulddoinapigpen.
“Ifwecouldonlygetoutofhere!”gruntedSquinty,ashelookedoutthroughacrackintheboardsandsawthegreengarden,wherepigweedwasgrowingthickly.
“Yes,butwecan’t,”saidWuff-Wuff.
Squintywasnotsosureaboutthis.Infacthewasaveryinquisitivelittlepig—thatis,healwayswantedtofindoutaboutthings,andwhythisandthatwasso,andwhatmadethewheelsgoaround,andalllikethat.
“IthinkIcangetoutthroughthatplace,”saidSquintytohimself,alittlelater.
Hehadfoundanothercrackbetweentwoboardsofthepen—alargecrack,andoneedgeoftheboardwasloose.
Squintybegantopushwithhisrubberynose.
Apig’snoseisprettystrong,youknow,foritismadefordigging,orrootingintheearth,toturnupacorns,andothergoodthingstoeat.
Squintypushedandpushedontheboarduntilhehadmadeitveryloose.Thecrackwasgettingwider.
“Oh,Icansurelygetout!”hethought.Helookedaround;hismotherandfatherandallthelittlepigswereasleepintheshadypartofthepen.
“I’mgoing!”saidSquintytohimself.
Hegaveoneextrahardpush,andtherehewasthroughthebigcrack,andoutsidethepen.
Itwasthefirsttimehehadeverbeenoutinhislife.
Atfirsthewasalittlefrightened,butwhenhelookedoverintothepotatopatch,andsawpigweedgrowingtherehewashappy.
“Oh,whatagoodmealIshallhave!”gruntedSquinty.
Herantowardalargebunchofthejuicy,greenpigweed,butbeforehereacheditheheardadreadfulnoise.
“Bowwow!Bowwow!Bowwow!”
wentsomeanimal,andthencamesomegrowls,andthenextmomentSquintysaw,rushingtowardhimDon,thebigblackandwhitedogofthefarmer.“Bowwow!Bowwow!Bowwow!”
barkedDon,andthatmeant,inhislanguage:“Getbackinyourpen,Squinty!Whatdoyoumeanbycomingout?Getback!Bowwow!”
“Ohdear!Ohdear!”squealedSquinty.“Ishallbebittensure!Thatdogwillbiteme!Ohdear!Whydidn’tIstayinthepen?”
Squintyturnedonhislittleshortlegs,asquicklyashecould,andstartedbackforthepen.
Butitwasnoteasytoruninapotatofield,andSquinty,nothavinglivedinthewoodsandfieldsasdosomepigs,wasnotaverygoodrunner.
“Bowwow!Bowwow!”barkedDon,runningafterSquinty.
IdonotbelieveDonreallymeanttohurtthecomicallittlepig.
InfactIknowhedidnot,forDonwasverykind-hearted.
ButDonknewthatthepigsweresupposedtostayintheirpen,andnotcomeouttorootupthegarden.SoDonbarked:
“Bowwow!Bowwow!Getbackwhereyoubelong,Squinty.”
Squintyranasfastashecould,butDonranfaster.
Squintycaughthisfootinamelonvine,anddownhewent.
BeforehecouldgetupDonwasclosetohim,and,thenextmomentSquintyfelthisearbeingtakenbetweenDon’sstrong,whiteteeth.
“Ohdear!Ohdear!Ohdear!”squealedSquinty,inhisownqueer,piglanguage.“Whatisgoingtohappentome?”
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