English
Didyoueverhavealittlebrotherorsisterwhoranawayfromhome,andwasverygladtorunback,orbebroughtbackagain,byapoliceman,perhaps?
Ofcourseyourlittlebrotherorsistermaynothaveintendedtorunaway,itmayhavebeenthattheyonlywanderedoff,aroundthecorner,towardthecandystore,andcouldnotfindtheirwaybackagain.
But,whenheorshedidgethome—howgladyouweretoseethem!Weren’tyou?
ItwasjustlikethatatthepenwhereSquinty,thecomicalpig,lived.
Whenthefarmerpickedhimup,anddroppedhimdownamonghisbrothersandsisters,inthecleanstraw,Wuff-Wuff,Squealer,andCurlyTail,andtheothers,weresogladtoseeSquintythattheygrunted,andsquealedandwalkedalloveroneanother,tobethefirsttogetclosetohim.
“Oh,Squinty,wherewereyou?”
“Wheredidyougo?”
“Whatdidyoudo?”
“Weren’tyouawfullyscared?”
“Wheredidthedogfindyou?”
“Didhebiteyouveryhard?”
TheseweresomeofthequestionsSquinty’sbrothersandsistersaskedofthelittlerunawaypig.
Theypressedcloseuptohim,rubbingtheirfunny,wiggling,rubber-likenosesagainsthim,andsnugglingupagainsthim,fortheylikedSquintyverymuchindeed.
Then,aftertheyoungpigshadhadtheirturn,Mr.PigandMrs.Pigbeganaskingquestions.
“Whatmadeyourunaway?”askedSquinty’spapa.
“Oh,Iwantedtohaveanadventure,”saidSquinty.
“Well,didyouhaveone?”askedhismamma.
“Oh,yes,lotsofthem,”answeredthelittlepig.“ButIdidn’tfindverymuchtoeat.”Squintywasveryhungrynow.
“Ohdear!”exclaimedMrs.Pig.“Youarejusttoolateforsupper.Itisalleatenup.Wedidnotseethatyouwerenothereuntiltoolate.It’stoobad!”
Squintythoughtsohimself,forthesmellofthesourmilkthathadbeeninthefeedingtroughmadehimmorehungrythanever.
Squintywalkedoverandtriedtofindafewdropsinthebottomofthewoodentrough.Thesehelickedupwithhisredtongue.Buttherewasnotnearlyenough.
“Ha!Iguessthatlittlepigmustbehungry,”saidthefarmerlookingdowninthepen,afterhehadputsomemorestonesandaboardovertheholewhereSquintyhadgottenout.
“IguessI’llhavetofeedhim,fortheothershavehadtheirsupper.”
AndhowgladSquintywaswhenthefarmerwentovertothebarrel,wherethepigs’feedwaskept,andmixedanicepailfulofsourmilkwithsomecornmeal,andpoureditintothetrough.
“Squee!Squee!”criedSquintyashemadearushovertogethissupper.
“Squee!Squee!”criedalltheotherlittlepigs,asthey,too,madearushtogetmoretoeat.
“Here!Holdon!Comeback!”criedMr.Pig.“ThatisSquinty’ssupper.Youmustnottouchit.Youhavehadyours!”
andheandMrs.PigwouldnotletSquinty’sbrothersandsistersshovehimawayfromthetrough.
Forsometimespigsaresohungrythattheydothis,youknow.Beingpigstheyknownobetter.
SoSquintyhadhissupper,afterall,thoughhedidrunaway.
Perhapsheshouldhavebeenpunishedbybeingsenttobedwithouthavinghadanythingtoeat,butyouseethefarmerwantedhispigstobefatandhealthy,sohefedthemwell.Squintywasverygladofthat.
“Nowallofyougotosleep,”saidMrs.Pig,whenitgrewdarkeranddarkerinthepen.
Soshemadethemallcuddledowninthestraw,pullingitoverthemwithhernoseandpaws,likeablanket,tokeepthemwarm.
Foronlypartofthepenhadaroofoverit,andthoughitwassummer,stillitwascoolatnight.
ButSquinty’sbrothersandsistershadnonotionofgoingtosleepsosoon.
Theywantedtohearallaboutwhathadhappenedtohimwhenhehadrunaway,andtheywantedhimtotellthemofhisadventures.
Sotheygruntedandwhisperedamongthemselves.
“Whathappenedtoyou,Squinty?”askedWuff-Wuff.
“Oh,Ihadafineswiminabrook,”saidSquinty.
“Iwishthathadhappenedtome,”saidWuff-Wuff.“Whatelse?”
“Ifoundanicefieldofcorn,”wentonSquinty,“butIdidnotlikethetasteofit.Igotlostinthecornfield.”
“That’stoobad,”saidWuff-Wuff.“Didanythingelsehappen?”
“Yes,Ifoundsomepigweed,andatethat,andsomelittlepotatoes.”
“Oh,hownice!”exclaimedTwistyTail.“Iwishthathadhappenedtome.Didyoudoanythingelse,Squinty?”
“Yes,”saidthecomicallittlepig.“IsawsomethingIthoughtwasapotato,anditjumpedawayfromme.Itwasahoptoad.”
“Thatwasfunny,”saidSquealer.“IwishIhadseenit.Didanythingelsehappen?”
“Yes,”saidSquinty.“IthoughtIsawanotherpotato,butwhenIbitonitIfounditwasonlyastone,andithurtmyteeth.”
“That’stoobad,”saidWuff-Wuff.“Iamgladthatdidnothappentome.Telluswhatelseyousaw.”
ButjustthenMrs.Piggruntedout:
“Come,now!Allyoulittlepigsmustkeepquietandgotosleep.Gotosleepatonce!”
SoSquintyandtheotherscuddledclosertogether,snuggleddowninthesoftstraw,andsoonwerefastasleep.
Nowandthentheystirred,orgruntedduringthenight,buttheydidnotwakeupuntilmorning.
Theywererunningaroundthepenbeforebreakfast,squealingasloudlyastheycould,forthefarmertocomeandfeedthem.
Butthefarmerhadhiscowsandhorsesandchickenstofeed,aswellasthepigs,andhedidnotgettothepenuntillast.
Andwhenhedid,allthepigsweresohungry,evenMr.andMrs.Pig,thattheyweresquealingashardastheycould.
“Yes,yes!”criedthefarmer,asthoughheweretalkingtothepigs.“I’mcomingasfastasIcan.”
Soonthefarmerpouredsomesourmilkandcornmealdownintothetrough,andhoweagerlySquintyandtheothersdideatit!
Someofthesmallerpigsevenputtwofeetinthetrough,theyweresoanxioustogettheirshare.
Squintyhadanespeciallygoodappetite,fromhavingrunaway,soperhapshegotalittlemorethantheothers.
Butfinallythebreakfastwasallgone,andthepigshadnothingmoretodountildinnertime—thatis,alltheyhadtodowastoliedownandrest,orgetupnowandthentoscratchamosquito,oraflybite.
“Well,Iguessnoneofyouwillgetoutagain,”saidthefarmer,afterawhile,ashenailedabiggerboardovertheholebywhichSquintyhadgottenout.
“Don,watchthesepigs,”thefarmerwenton.
“Iftheygetout,grabthembytheear,andbringthemback.”
“Bowwow!”barkedDon,andthatmeanthewoulddoashismasterhadtoldhim.
Forseveraldaysafterthisnothinghappenedinthepigs’penexceptthattheywerewashedoffwiththehosenowandthen,tocleanthemofmudandmakethemcool.
OnceinawhilethefarmerwouldtakeacorncobandscratchthebackofMr.orMrs.Pig,andtheylikedthisverymuch.
Theotherpigswerealmosttoolittleforthefarmertoreachoverthetopofthepen.
Onedaythepigsheardmerryshoutsandlaughterupatthefarmhouse.Therewerethesoundsofboys’andgirls’voices.Thencamethepatterofmanyfeet.
“Oh,lookatthepigs!”someonecried,andSquinty,andhisbrothersandsisters,lookingup,saw,overtheedgeofthepen,someboysandgirlslookingdownonthem.
“Oh,aren’ttheycute!”exclaimedagirl.
“Justlovely!”saidanothergirl.“Pigsaresonice!”
“Iwonderifanyofthemcandoanytricks?”askedaboywhostoodlookingdownintothepen.
“Thesearen’ttrainedcircuspigs,”spokeoneofthegirls.“Theycan’tdotricks.”
Theboyandthegirlsstayedforalittlewhile,watchingthepigs.Thentheboysaid:
“Let’spullsomeweedsandfeedthem.”
“Oh,yes,let’s!”criedthegirls.
Thepigsweregladwhentheyheardthis,andtheyweremoregladwhentheboyandthegirlsthrewpigweed,andothergreenthingsfromthegarden,intothepen.
Thepigsatethemallup,andwantedmore.
Afterthat,forseveraldays,Squintyandhisbrothersandsisterscouldheartheboyandthegirlsrunningaboutthegarden,buttheycouldnotseethembecausetheboardsaroundthepigpenweretoohigh.
Theboyandthegirlsseemedtobehavingafinetime.
Squintycouldhearthemtalkingabouthuntingthehens’eggs,andfeedingthelittlecalvesandsheep,andridingonthebacksofhorses.
Then,onedaySquintylookedupoutofthepen,and,leaningoverthetopboardhesawthefarmer,theboyandanotherman.
“Oh,Father!”exclaimedtheboy,“doletmehavejustonelittlepig.Theyaresonice!”
“Apig!”criedFather.“Whatwouldyoudowithapiginourtown?Wearenotinthecountry.Wherewouldyoukeepapig?”
“Oh,Icouldbuildalittlepenforhiminouryard.Look,letmehavethatone,heissopinkandprettyandclean.”
“Ha!Soyouwantthatpig,doyou?”askedthefarmer.Theboyandhisfatherandsisterswerepayingavisittothefarm.
“Yes,Iwantapigverymuch!”theboysaid.
“AndIthinkI’dlikethatone,”andhepointedstraightatSquinty.
PoorSquintyranandtriedtohideunderthestraw,forheknewtheboywastalkingabouthim.
“Oh,seehimrun!”criedtheboy.“Yes,Ithinkheisthenicestpiginthelot.Iwanthim.Hasheanyname?”
“Well,wecallhimSquinty,”thefarmersaid.“Hehasafunny,squintingeye.”
“ThenI’llcallhimSquinty,too,”theboywenton.“Please,Father,mayIhavethatlittlepig?”
“Well,Idon’tknow,”saidhisfatherslowly,scratchinghishead.“Apigisaqueerpet.Isupposeyoumighthavehim,though.Youcouldkeephiminthebackyard.
Yes,Iguessyoucouldhavehim,ifMr.Joneswillsellhim,andifthepigwillbehave.
Doyouthinkthatlittlepigwillbegood,Mr.Jones?”askedthefatherofthefarmerman.
“Well,yes,Iguessso,”answeredthefarmer.“Hehasrunawayoutofthepenacoupleoftimes,butifyouboardupaplacegoodandtight,Iguesshewon’tgetout.”
“Oh,Idohopehe’llbegood!”exclaimedtheboy.“Idosowantalittlepetpig,andI’llbesokindtohim!”
WhenSquintyheardthat,hemadeuphismind,iftheboytookhim,thathewouldbeasgoodasheknewhow.
“WhencanIhavemylittlepig?”askedtheboy,ofhisfather.
“Oh,assoonasMr.Jonescanputhiminabox,sowecancarryhim,”wastheanswer.“Wecan’tverywelltakehiminourarms;hewouldslipoutandrunaway.”
“Iguessso,too,”laughedtheboy.
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