A LITTLE PIG TALE
Once upon a time, not really very long ago, a little baby pig named Sally lived with a human family in a big city. She was a happy, friendly pig who loved her people and she was sure they loved her.
One day, her family started to do strange things. They brought big boxes into the apartment. Then they put things into the boxes. They put in clothes and books, pots and pans, pillows and blankets. They kept telling Sally to stay out of the way.
Then they wrapped the television in a big quilt and carried it through the door. Sally liked to watch the pictures of people and animals on the television and was sad that it was gone. But she told herself that it was okay, because she still had her real people.
Finally, her real people picked up the last boxes and walked out. The door closed behind them.
Sally waited for someone to come home.
And waited.
And waited.
Night came and the apartment was dark. No one came to push the light switch on. Sally thought she might be able to push it with her nose the way she had seen her people push it with their fingers, but she was too small to reach it.
The light would have been nice, but there was a much bigger problem. Sally was hungry. She was a mini pig, but she was still growing, so she really needed to eat.
She checked her food bowl.
Empty.
She looked at the kitchen cupboards. It was a BAD thing to push the doors open. Her people would be angry when they came home if she did that, but she was so very hungry.
She nosed one cupboard open. There was nothing there. Another had a tipped-over box of cereal with some spilled and some left inside. She ate every bit and checked all the cupboards she could reach. There was nothing else.
She went to sleep and dreamed that her people had come home.
Sally woke up as soon as sunlight came through the windows. Now she was thirsty as well as hungry. She knew that the place her people called a shower sometimes dripped from its high-up water thing.
Yes! The shower door was open enough to push through and there was a small puddle on the slippery floor. It wasn’t much, but a drop plopped on Sally’s head while she was drinking, so at least there would be another puddle later.
But her people would be home by later. Of course they would.
Her people always came home.
She went back to the kitchen and checked the cupboards again. Nothing was left but the empty cereal box. It smelled like cereal so she ripped the box into little pieces and ate them.
The box pieces didn’t taste very good, but that was okay; she’d have something good to eat when her people came home.
Sally went to the apartment door and listened for footsteps. It was very quiet. She snuffled at the tiny space at the bottom of the door. It smelled like carpet, like it always did. She sighed and checked the kitchen cabinets again.
Still nothing.
At least the shower had another little pool on the floor.
She gave up trying to find more cereal crumbs and curled up in a sunny place under a window. It was nice and warm; a good place for a nap until her people came home.
When she woke up, she heard footsteps. She ran to the door, her tail wiggling with happiness.
The footsteps went by.
Not her people.
She went back to her spot by the window. It wasn’t as warm as before; the sun was setting. She curled up again but it was hard to sleep. She was hungry and lonely and trying hard not to think the most terrible thought in the world.
The next day was almost the same, and the day after that.
The day after that, Sally was wandering around slowly, too hungry and weak to do anything quickly. She bumped into the corner of the wall between the kitchen and the living room. Her nose felt a crumbly spot.
Maybe it was something she could eat.
It tasted a little like rocks she had played with on the farm where she was born. Not very much like food, but it was easy to chew and the papery stuff on the outside was almost as good as the cereal box.
She ate more and pretended it was the best dinner ever.
The next morning, she ate more of the paper and rock from the wall. Her stomach felt funny. Then she had a too-small drink from the shower puddle.
There was nothing to do, so she sat in her spot by the window and thought the most terrible thought in the world.
Her people were never going to come back.
She started to cry softly. She was careful, because it was BAD to make a lot of noise.
“You’ll have to do better than that if you expect anyone to hear you!”
Sally turned quickly. There was a grown-up mini pig watching her. She knew she must be dreaming. The grown-up was sparkly white and had little white wings. There was a wreath of flowers around her neck.
”No, you’re not.”
“Not what?” Sally said, though her throat was so dry it was hard to talk. “And who are you?”
“You’re not dreaming, and I am the Mini Pig Guardian. I’ve been sent to help you.”
“Can you make my people come back?”
The Pig guardian snorted. “Your people didn’t deserve a fine little pig like you. You can find a much better family.”
“But… But I love my people”
“That just proves what a good heart you have. You deserve people who would never-ever leave you behind.”
“Are there people like that?”
“Absolutely and one hundred percent yes; but you have to let someone know you’re in trouble. You have to make a lot of noise.”
“But it’s BAD to make -“
The Guardian held up one shiny white hoof. “Your people told you it was bad to make noise because they weren’t supposed to have a pig in this apartment. They were keeping you a secret.”
“If people come, will they help me?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
Sally thought about her people, then she thought about how they hadn’t even said goodbye. “What do I have to do?”
“I’ll fix your throat so it isn’t dry and sore anymore, then I’ll give you the power to make the loudest noise any pig has ever made. Pigs can be loud naturally, but this will be a super-naturally loud noise. Not many people live in this building so we have to make them hear. Ready?”
Sally didn’t feel strong enough for even a grunty little oink, but she nodded. “I’m ready.”
The Guardians wings fluttered. Sally’s throat didn’t hurt anymore.
The Guardian spun in a circle and her wings beat so fast they lifted her off the floor.
“Now!” she said.
Sally tipped her head back and squealed the biggest squeal in the world.
“Good!” the Guardian said. She was floating in a cloud of colored lights. “Again!”
Sally squealed again, then again. The glass in the window rattled. The corner she had been chewing crumbled into a pile of dust.
“Listen now.” Shiny white hooves came back to the floor. “What do you hear?”
“Voices?”
“That’s right. People heard you. Squeal a few more times, but not as loudly. We don’t want to frighten them away!”
Soon the voices were near.
“Did you hear that?” one said.
“What on earth was it?” another said.
“Should we call the police? Does anyone have a key? I didn’t think anyone lived here. “
Soon a man and a woman in dark uniforms opened the door her people had shut when they left.
“It’s a pig!” The man said.
“It’s in bad shape,” the woman said. “Poor thing’s skin and bones.” She bent down. “Did somebody leave you here, sweetie?”
“Calling the SPCA,” the man said. “They can take care of it.”
“I hope so. It makes me so angry when we find animals abandoned.”
“Me too.” He put his phone away. “Animal rescue is on the way.”
The officers talked to the people watching from the hall, but no one knew anything.
Sally smiled at the Guardian. “It worked,” she whispered. “Why didn’t the police officers look at you? You were standing right beside me.”
“I’m invisible unless you need to see me.”
“That’s too bad; you’re beautiful.”
“So are you.”
The animal rescue team arrived.
“Let’s get her to the veterinary hospital right away.”
“Right. She needs a lot of help.”
As they were putting her in a special carrier, she heard The Guardians voice.
“When you’re strong again, you’ll find your special family. A farm with lots of friends and lots to eat.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely and one hundred percent yes.”
And, of course, The Guardian was right.
Author’s note:
Although this story is written like a fairy tale, it’s based on a true story.
The real Sally is a mini pig named Sophia who was found abandoned in a city apartment. She was rescued and nursed back to health by the SPCA Serving Erie County (NY).
When she was well enough to be adopted, she went to live with her new people, Ann and Mark. She has lots of other people friends too, plus cat friends, horse friends, and another rescued mini pig, Mr. Chops, to talk to.
And, of course, lots of good things to eat.
An absolutely, one hundred percent, happily ever after!