English
BetweenthebarkingofDon,thedog,andthesquealingofSquinty,thecomicalpig,whowasbeingledalongbyhisear,therewassomuchnoiseinthefarmer’spotatopatch,forafewmoments,that,ifyouhadbeenthere,Ithinkyouwouldhavewonderedwhatwashappening.
“Bowwow!Bowwow!Bowwow!”barkedDon,stillkeepingholdofSquinty’sear,thoughhedidnotpinchveryhard.“Bowwow!Getbacktoyourpenwhereyoubelong!”
“Squee!Squee!Squee!”yelledSquinty.“Oh,pleaseletmego!I’llbegood!”
Andsoitwenton,thedogtalkinginhisbarkinglanguage,andSquintysquealinginhispigtalk;buttheycouldeasilyunderstandoneanother,evenifnooneelsecould.
BackinthepenMrs.Pigsuddenlyawakenedfromanap.SodidMr.Pig,andallthelittlepigs.
“Don’tyouhearsomethingmakinganoise?”askedMrs.Pigofherhusband.
“Why,yes,IthinkIdo,”heansweredslowly,ashelookedinthefeedtrough,toseeifthefarmerhadleftanymoresourmilkthereforthepigfamilytoeat.Buttherewasnone.
“Ihearsomeonesquealing,”saidWuff-Wuff,thelargestboypigofthemall.
“SodoI,”saidSqueaker,alittlegirlpig.
Mrs.Pigsatup,andlookedalloverthepen.Shewascountingherchildrentoseeiftheywereallthere.ShedidnotseeSquinty,andatonceshebecamefrightened.
“Squintyisgone!”criedMrs.Pig.“Oh,wherecanhebe?”
Thesquealingnoisebecamelouder.Sodidthebarkingofthedog.
“Look,thereisaboardoffthesideofthepen,”saidMr.Pig.
“Yes,Squintywantedmetocomeoutsidewithhim,”saidWuff-Wuff.“ButIwouldn’tgo.”
“Oh,maybemylittleboypigisoutsidethere,makingallthatnoise!”criedMrs.Pigtoherhusband.
“Well,heisn’tmakingallthatnoisebyhimself,”saidthefatherpig.“Someoneishelpinghimmakeit,I’msure.”
Theyalllistened,andheardthebarkingofDon,aswellasthesquealingofSquinty.
“Oh,someanimalhascaughthim!”criedMrs.Pig.
Thenshepushedashardasshecouldwithhernose,againstthelooseboardneartheholeinthepen,throughwhichSquintyhadrunalittlewhilebefore.
Mrs.Pigsoonknockedofftheboard,andthensheranoutintothegarden,Mr.Pigandallthelittlepigsranafterher.
ThefirstthingMrs.Pigsawwasherlittleboypigdownonthegroundinthemiddleofarowofmelonvines,withDonholdingSquinty’sear.
“Bowwow!”barkedDon.
“Squee!Squee!”criedSquinty.
“Oh,youpoorlittlepig!”gruntedMrs.Pig.“Whathashappenedtoyou?”
“Oh,mamma!”squealedSquinty.“I—Iranoutofthepentoseewhatitwaslikeoutside,andIwasjusteatingsomepigweed,whenthisbigdogchasedafterme.”
“Yes,Idid,”saidDon,growlinginhisdeepvoice.
“Theplaceforpigs,littleorbig,isintheirpen.
Thefarmerdoesnotwantyoutocomeoutandspoilhisgarden.
Hetellsmetowatchyou,andtodriveyoubackifyoucomeinit.
“ThisisthefirsttimeIhaveseenanyofyoupigsinthegarden,”wentonDon,stillkeepingholdofSquinty’sear,“andIwantyou,please,togobackinyourpen.”
“Oh,I’llgo!I’llgo!”criedSquinty.“Onlyletlooseofmyear,Mr.Dog,ifyouplease!”
“What!HaveyouholdofSquinty’sear?”askedWuff-Wuff.“Oh,dopleaselethimgo!”
“Yes,Iwill,nowthatyouarehere,”saidDon,andhetookhisstrong,whiteteethfromthepiggyboy’sear.
“Ididnotbitehimhardenoughtohurthim,”saidDon.
“ButIhadtocatchholdofhimsomewhere,andtakinghimbytheearwasbetterthantakinghimbythetail,Ithink.”
“Oh,yes,indeed!”agreedMr.Pig.
“Once,whenIwasalittlepig,adogbitmeonthetail,andInevergotoverit.
InfactIhavethemarksyet,”andhetriedtolookaroundathistail,whichhadakinkinit.
ButMr.Pigwastoofattoseehisowntail.
“Sothat’swhyItookholdofSquintybytheear,”wentonDon.“DidIhurtyouverymuch?”heaskedthelittlepigwhohadrunoutofthepen.
“Oh,no;notmuch,”Squintysaid,asherubbedhisearwithhispaw.
Then,ashesawabunchofpigweedclosetohim,hebegannibblingthat.
Andhisbrothersandsisters,seeinghimdothis,begantoeatthepigweedalso.
“Come!Thiswillneverdo!”barkedDon,thedog.“Iamsorry,butallyoupigsmustgobackinyourownpen.Thefarmerwouldnotlikeyoutobeoutinhisgarden.”
“Yes,Isupposewemust,”saidMrs.Pig,withasigh.“Yetitisveryniceoutinthegarden.Butwemuststayinourpen.”
“Come,children,”saidMr.Pig.“Wemuststayinourownplace,forifwerootedupthefarmer’sgarden,muchaswewouldliketodoit,hewouldhavenovegetablestoeatthiswinter.
Thenhemightbeangryatus,andwouldgiveusnomoresourmilk.Sowewillgobacktoourpen.”
“Bowwow!Bowwow!”barkedDon,runninghereandthere.“Iwillshowyouthewaybacktoyourpen,”hesaid,kindly.
Andhecaperedabout,hereandthere,drivingthepigsbacktotheplacewhereSquintyhadrunfrom,andwherealltheothershadcomefrom,toseewhathadhappenedtohim.
Thefarmer,whowashoeingcorn,heardthebarkingofhisdog.Hedroppedthehoeandran.
“Somethingmusthavehappened!”hecried.“Maybethebigbullhasgottenloosefromhisfield,andischasingsomeonewithareddress.”
Intothegardenheran,andthenhesawDondrivingSquinty,andhisbrothersandsisters,andmotherandfather,backtothepen.
“Ha!Sothepigsgotloose!”thefarmercried.“Gooddog!Chase‘emback!”
“Bowwow!”barkedDon.“Iwill!”
Butthepigsdidnotneedmuchdriving,fortheywereverygood,anddidnotwanttocauseDon,orthefarmer,anytroubleiftheycouldhelpit.
SoonSquintyandtheothersweresafelyinthepenagain.Thefarmerlookedatthemcarefully.
“So,youthoughtyou’dliketogetoutandhavearun,didyou?”
heasked,speakingtopigsjustasiftheycouldunderstandhim.
Andtheydid,justasyourdogunderstands,andmindsyouwhenyoucalltohimtocometoyou.
“Soyouwantedaruninthegarden,eh?”wentonthefarmer.
“Well,Idon’tblameyou,foritisn’tmuchfuntostaycoopedupinapenallthewhile.ButstillIcan’thaveyouout.
ButI’llgiveyouanicelotofpigweed,justthesame,foryoumustbehungry.”
Thenthefarmerpulledupsomemoreofthegreenstuff,andtosseditintothepen.Healsogavethemplentyofsourmilk,whichpigslikebetterthansweetmilk.Besides,itischeaper.
“Well,Iguessyouwon’trunawayagain,”thefarmerwenton,ashenailedbackonthepentheboardwhichSquintyhadpushedoff.
Perhapsthefarmerthoughtoneofthebigpigs—thepapaormammaone—hadmadetheholefortheotherstogetout.
IamsureheneverthoughtlittleSquinty,withhiscomicaleye,didit.ButweknowSquintydid,don’twe?
ForsometimeafterthisSquintywasavery-goodpig,indeed.
NotthatImeantosayhewasbadwhenheranoutofthepen,forhedidnotknowanybetter.
But,aftertheboardwasnailedontightlyagain,hedidnottrytopushitoff.Perhapsheknewhecouldnotdoit.
Squintyandhisbrothersandsistershadlotsoffuninthepen,eveniftheycouldnotgoout.
Theyplayedgamesinthestraw,hidingawayfromoneanother,andsquealingandgruntingwhentheywerefound.
Theyracedaroundthepen,playingagamemuchlikeourgameoftag,andiftheycouldhavehadsomeonetotieahand-kerchiefovertheireyes,theymighthaveplayedblind-man’sbluff.
Butofcoursetheydidnotreallydothis.
However,theyracedabout,andjumpedovereachother’sbacks,andclimbeduponthefatsidesoftheirfatherandmotherwhilethebigpigslayasleepintheshade.
Squintywasapigveryfondofplayingtricks.Sometimeshewouldtakeachoice,tenderpieceofpigweed,whichthefarmerhadtossedintothepen,andhideitinthesoftdirtinonecorner.
“Nowseewhocanfindit!”Squintywouldcalltohisbrothersandsisters,andtheywouldhuntalloverforit,rootinguptheearthwiththeirstrong,rubberynoses.
Digginginthedirtwasgoodpracticeforthem,andtheirmotherandfatherwouldwatchthem,saying:
“Ah,whentheygrowuptheywillbeverygoodrootingpigsindeed.Yes,verygood!”
ThenSquinty,orhisbrothersorsisters,wouldrootupthehiddenpigweed,andtheoldpigswouldgotosleepagain,fortheydidnotneedtopracticedigging,havingdonesowhentheywereyoung.
Aboutalltheydidwastoeatandsleep,andtellthelittlepigshowtobehave.
“Squinty,howisyourearthatDon,thedog,bit?”askedMrs.Pigofherlittleboypigoneday.
“Oh,itdoesn’thurtme,”answeredSquinty.“Dondidnotbiteveryhard.Heonlywantedtocatchme.”
“Yes,Donisagooddog,”saidMrs.Pig.“Butyoumustbecarefulofotherdogs,Squinty.”
“Why,arenotalldogsalike?”thelittlepigboyasked.
“Oh,no,indeed!”answeredMrs.Pig.“Someofthemareverybadandsavage.
Theywouldbiteyouveryhardiftheygotthechance.
So,wheneveryouseeanydog,exceptDon,runningtowardyou,runawayasfastasyoucan.”
“Iwill,”promisedSquinty.Andhedidnotknowhowsoonhewouldbegladtorememberhismother’sgoodadvice.
Forsomedaysnothingmuchhappenedinthepigpen.OnceortwiceSquintypushedhisnoseagainsttheboardthefarmerhadnailedon,butitwasverytight,hefound,andhecouldnotpushitoff.
“Areyoutryingtogetoutagain?”askedWuff-Wuff.
“Oh,Idon’tknow,”Squintywouldanswer.“Ithinkitwouldbefunifweallcould;don’tyou?”
“No,indeed!”criedWuff-Wuff.“Somebigdogmightchaseus.Iwanttostayinthepen.”
ButSquintywasabrave,bold,mischievouslittlepig.Hewasnotcontenttostayinthepen.Hewantedtohavesomeadventures.Hewantedtogetoutinthegarden,whichlookedsoniceandgreen.
Squintylookedallaroundtheothersidesofthepen.
Hewantedtoseeiftherewasanotherlooseboard.
Iftherewas,hemadeuphislittlepigmindthathewouldgooutagain.
Buthesaidnothingofthistohisbrothersorsisters,ortohisfatherormother.
Hefeltthattheywouldnotlikehimtogoawayagain.
“Butthereisnotmuchfunstayinginthepenallthewhile,”thoughtSquinty.“IwishIcouldgetout.”
Squinty,yousee,hadmadeuphismindtorunaway.Oftenhorsesrunaway,soIdon’tseewhypigscan’t,also.Anyhow,thatwaswhatSquintyintendedtodo.
But,fornearlyaweekafterhisfirstadventureinthegarden,Squintyhadnochancetoslipoutofthepen.Alltheboardsseemedverytight.
Then,oneday,itwasveryhot.Thesunshonebrightly.
“Digholesforyourselvesinthecoolground,andliedowninthem,”saidMrs.Pig.“Thatwillcoolyouoff.”
Eachlittlepigdugaholeforhimself,justasahendoeswhenshewantstotakeadustbath.Squintydughisholeneartheloweredgeoftheboards,ononesideofthepen.
“I’llmakeabighole,”hethoughttohimself.
And,asSquintydugdown,henoticedthathecouldseeunderthebottomoftheboards.Hecouldlookrightoutintothegarden.
“Thatisveryqueer,”thoughtthelittlepigboy.
“IbelieveIcangetoutofthepenbycrawlingunderaboard,aswellasbypushingoneloosefromtheside.I’lltryit.”Squintywaslearningthings,yousee.
Sohedugtheholedeeperanddeeper,andsoonitwaslargeenoughforhimtoslipunderthebottomboard.
“NowIcanrunaway,”hegruntedsoftlytohimself.Helookedallaroundthepen.Hisfather,mother,sistersandbrotherswerefastasleepintheircoolholesofearth.
“I’mgoing!”saidSquinty,andthenextmomenthehadslippedunderthesideofthepen,throughtheholehehaddug,andoncemorehewasoutinthegarden.
“Nowforsomeadventures!”saidSquinty,inajollywhisper—apig’swhisper,youknow.
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