Years ago, one of my aunts and uncles had a hobby farm, including a sow and four piglets.

The baby pigs were incredibly cute…and friendly, and didn’t hesitate to come up to the enclosure, looking for a little attention. The wire fence that contained them was low enough for us boys (me, my brother, and two cousins) to lean over, and without hesitation, like a dog or a cat, the piglets let us pet and gently scratch them on their backs, heads, and snouts. They loved it! Needless to say, quite a rush for me and my brother…city boys.

Compared to the babies, their mother was a monster, easily as big if not bigger than we boys, none of us older than ten at the time. The sharp canine teeth protruding from her mouth made her all the more imposing, and we were glad to be outside of the enclosure.

As luck would have it, I had caught a leopard frog a short time before that, and being curious about all things, Nature, without thinking I quickly tossed it into the pen to see what would happen, landing behind the piglets towards the middle. However before any of the little ones could reach it, the sow came over to investigate.

Wide eyed and open mouthed in shock and horror, we then watched as she bent down, grabbed the frog in her mouth, and in a couple of bites, gulped it down.

That day we learned at least one of the reasons why we call them pigs.


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09/23/2014

Author's Note: A vignette.

Posted on 09/24/2014
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