Pig Family’s Easter

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 154, 27 March 1937, Page IX (Supplement)

Pig Family’s Easter

"Very warm for Easter, my dear,” said Father Pig, mopping his row with a fern leaf, “exceptionally so.” Although he lived in the hills, he felt the heat.

"Oh, but Easter is early, really at the end of summer, you know,” answered Mother Pig who looked tired out with cleaning her litter of fourteen piglets.

"It will be so hot, spending our Easter holidays in Hollow Log Ravine; not a breath of wind down there,” panted the piglets to each other. But Father Rig had told them that the holidays must be spent in the very hottest part of the hills in hiding. The reason for this was that at Eastertide ail the business men in town, love to spend their Easter hunting the wild pig, on the hills. Mother Pig knew the danger, so every year she took her family to Holly Log Ravine, and taught them to beware of the bark of dogs.

Last year one had strayed away, and the dogs had nearly caught them all. This year she had fourteen piglets, such a trotterful, to be sure. Bob and Bobette, George and Georgina, Cecil and Cecilia, Freda and Fred, Leon and Leona, Oliver and Olive, Paul and Pauline. But every one, though black as night, was as dear to the parent pigs' hearts as gold. This Easter, being so warm, meant hardly breathing, but away they trotted for their holiday.

Two men came along and two dogs, sniffed along and caught the trait "Whoof! whoof!” they had smelt it, and there were two fierce-looking dogs coming right behind. Father Pig told the piglets not to venture out of the logs, but Paul just had to peep, to see the fun, he called it. Being three days in a tight log, was no fun. But the dog got the scent of Paul, and Father Pig had to come to his help.

His strong shoulder shielded Paul against two dogs, but piggy Paul would butt in. One dog held his ear, chewed it, and Father Pig turned on the other dog, ripping him down the foreleg. Then the men with the guns arrived.

—Original, by Wanda (14), Wellington. “Ping! Ping!” Paul had been shot, and Father Pig wounded, but he was unable to fight guns. Paul’s twin. Pauline, simply bad to come out, shaking and trembling. One of the men picked her up, squealing and kicking, and popped her into a bag. What was going to happen to her? Oh the bumpety bumpety bump, of that uphill and downhill journey; then into a car, and at long last she was put into a paddock among a lot of other pigs. Food was put into a trough and the piggies raced for it. Trembling, the newcomer joined in. and soon she was enjoying her new life as much as the old. “What is it?” someone asked. “Why,” said Uncle, “It is a live Easter egg from Holly Log Ravine come to live at our farm.” And before very long Pauline was just like any other farm pig and her family had forgotten her. — Dad’s Cobber (10), Carterton. .r>oooooooooooo-ac-0000000000-o-