“Mamma,didyouhearwhattheyweresayingaboutSquinty?”askedWuff-Wuff,astheboyandthetwomenwalkedawayfromthepigpen. “Oh,yes,Iheard,”saidMrs.Pig.“IshallbesorrytoloseSquinty,butthenwepigshavetogooutandtakeourplacesinthisworld.Wecannotalwaysstayathomeinthepen.” “Yes,thatisso,”spokeMr.Pig.“ButSquintyisratheryoungandsmalltostartout.However,itmayallbeforthebest. Now,Squinty,youhadbetterkeepyourselfniceandclean,soastobereadytogoonajourney.” “What’sajourney?”askedthecomicallittlepig,squintinghiseyeupatthepapapig. “Ajourneyisgoingawayfromhome,”answeredMr.Pig. “Anddoesitmeanhavingadventures?”askedSquinty,floppinghisearsbackwardandforward. “Yes,youmayhavesomeadventures,”repliedhismother.“Ohdear,Squinty!Iwishyoudidn’thavetogoandleaveus.Butstill,itmaybeallforyourgood.” “Wemighthidehimunderthestraw,”suggestedWuff-Wuff.“Thenthatboycouldnotfindhimwhenhecomestoputhiminabox,andtakehimaway.” “No,thatwouldneverdo,”saidMr.Pig. “Thefarmerisstrongerandsmarterthanweare. HewouldfindSquinty,nomatterwherewehidhim. Itisbettertolethimdoashepleases,andtakeSquintyaway,thoughweshallallmisshim.” “Ohdear!”criedCurlyTail,forshelikedherlittlebrotherverymuch,andshelovedtoseehimlookatherwithhisfunny,squintingeye.“Doyouwanttogo,Squinty?” “Well,Idon’twanttoleaveyouall,”answeredthecomicallittlepig,“butIshallbegladtogoonajourney,andhaveadventures.IhopeIdon’tgetlostagain,though.” “Iguesstheboywon’tletyougetlost,”spokeMr.Pig.“Helooksasthoughhewouldbekindandgoodtoyou.” ThepigfamilydidnotknowwhenSquintywouldbetakenawayfromthem,andalltheycoulddowastowait. Whiletheyweredoingthistheyateandsleptastheyalwaysdid. Squinty,severaltimes,lookedattheholeunderthepen,bywhichhehadoncegottenout. Hefeltsurehecouldagainpushhiswaythrough,andrunaway.Buthedidnotdoit. “No,Iwillwaitandlettheboytakemeaway,”thoughtSquinty. Severaltimesafterthistheboyandhissisterscametolookdownintothepigpen. Thepigscouldtell,bythetalkofthechildren,thattheywerebrotherandsisters. Andtheyhadcometothefarmtospendtheirsummervacation,whentherewasnoschool. “That’sthepigIamgoingtotakehomewithme,”theboywouldsaytohissisters,pointingtoSquinty. “Howcanyoutellwhichoneisyours?”askedoneofthelittlegirls. “Icantellbyhisfunnysquint,”theboywouldanswer.“Healwaysmakesmewanttolaugh.” “Well,IamgladIamofsomeuseinthisworld,”thoughtSquinty,whocouldunderstandnearlyallthattheboyandhissisterssaid.“Itissomethingjusttobejolly.” “Iwouldn’twantapig,”saidtheothergirl.“Theygruntandsquealandarenotclean.I’dratherhavearabbit.” “Pigsaresoclean!”criedtheboy.“Squintyisascleanasarabbit!” OnlythatdaySquintyhadrolledoverandoverinthemud,buthehadhadabathfromthehose,sohewascleannow. Andhemadeuphismindthatiftheboytookhimhewouldneveragaingetinthemudandbecomecoveredwithdirt. “Iwillkeepmyselfcleanandjolly,”thoughtSquinty. AfewdaysafterthisSquintyheardthenoiseofhammeringandsawingwoodoutsidethepigpen. “Thefarmermustbebuildinganotherbarn,”saidMr.Pig,forheandhisfamilycouldnotseeoutsidethepen. “Yes,hemustbebuildinganotherbarn,foroncebeforeweheardthesoundsofhammeringandsawing,andthenanewbarnwasbuilt.” Butthatwasnotwhatitwasthistime. Soonthesoundsstopped,andthefarmerandtheboycameandlookeddownintothepigpen. “Nowyouaresureyouwantthatsquintyone?”thefarmeraskedtheboy.“Someoftheothersarebiggerandbetter.” “No,Iwantthesquintyone,”theboysaid.“Heissocomical,hemakesmelaugh.” “Allright,”answeredthefarmer.“I’llgethimforyou,nowthatyouhavethecrateallmadetocarryhimhomeinonthecars.” Overintothepigpenjumpedthefarmer.HemadeagrabforSquintyandcaughthim. “Squee!Squee!Squee!”squealedSquinty,forhehadneverbeensqueezedsotightlybefore. “Oh,I’mnotgoingtohurtyou,”saidthefarmer,kindly. “Squinty,bequiet,”orderedhispapa,inthepiglanguage.“Behaveyourself.Youaregoingonajourney,andwillbeallright.” ThenSquintystoppedsquealing,asthefarmerclimbedoutofthepenwithhim. “AtlastIamgoingonajourney,andImayhavemanyadventures,”thoughtthelittlepig.“Good-by!”hecalledtohispapaandmammaandbrothersandsisters,leftbehindinthepen.“Good-by!” “Good-by!”theyallgruntedandsquealed.“Beagoodpig,”saidhismamma. “Beabravepig,”saidhispapa. “And—andcomebackandseeus,sometime,”sniffledlittleCurlyTail,forshelovedSquintyverymuchindeed. “I’llcomeback!”saidthecomicallittlepig.Buthedidnotknowhowmuchwastohappenbeforehesawhispenagain. “Thereyougo—intotheboxwithyou!”criedthefarmer,ashedroppedSquintyintoawoodenboxtheboyhadmadeforhispet,withahammer,sawandnails. Squintyfoundhimselfdroppeddownonabedofcleanstraw. Infrontofhim,behindhim,andoneithersideofhimwerewoodenslats—thesidesofthebox. Squintycouldlookout,buttheslatswereasclosetogetherasthoseinachickencoop,andthelittlepigcouldnotgetout. Hedidnotwantto,however,forhehadmadeuphismindthathewasgoingtobeagoodpig,andgowiththeboywhohadboughthimforapetfromthefarmer. Overthetopoftheboxwasnailedacoverwithahandletoit,andbythishandlethepiginthelittlecagecouldbeeasilycarried. “Thereyouare!”exclaimedthefarmer.“Nowhe’llbeallrightuntilyougethimhome.” “And,whenIdo,I’llputhiminanicebigpen,andfeedhimwell,”saidtheboy.Squintysmackedhislipsatthat,forhewashungryevennow. “Oh,haveyoucagedhimup?Isn’thecute!”exclaimedoneoftheboy’ssisters. “I’llgivehimthecoreofmyapple,”andshethrustitinthroughtheslatsofthebox. Squintywasveryglad,indeed,togettheapplecore,andhesoonateitup. “Comeon!”criedtheboy’sfather.“Isthepignailedup?Wemustgoforthetrain!” “Iwonderwhatthetrainis,”thoughtSquinty.Hewassoontoknow. Theboyliftedhimup,cageandall,andputhimintothewagonthatwastogotothedepot. Squintyknewwhatawagonwasandhorses,forhehadseenthemmanytimes. Thenawaytheystarted.Squintygavealoudsqueal,whichwashislastgood-bytotheotherpigsinthepen,andthenthewagonrattledawayalongtheroad. Squintyhadstartedonhisjourney. 
