The Piggy Who Didn’t Go To Market, but His Book Did

The Piggy Who Didn’t Go To Market, but His Book Did

I’d like to start by saying this blog post is dedicated to one very special pig. It’s time I share my main character’s real life story with you.

Pig’s real name was Basil and he was a Buroc pig. My stepsister Julie bid on him at the county fair where he was to be auctioned off as a bacon pig. That was until she came along, gazed into his chocolate brown eyes, and fell madly in love. Did she know she was going to be buying a pig that day? No. She wasn’t even sure how to get him home but this was love at first sight, the real thing, and nothing was going to stop her. It took the county sheriff and a ferry ride to get Basil back to the farm but it was worth it because this is where he ended up living, quite happily, for the rest of his life.

Julie loved her pig and I can see why. He was charming, had a lot of hobbies, and a lot to say. He enjoyed communicating with people, swimming in the pond, playing hide and seek, and rooting the soil with his snout.

Unlike my character, Basil didn’t have to eat only apples, although we do grow some awesome apples here. He was a vegetarian and as it turned out, quite the gardener. He tilled, fertilized, and planted his squash garden without any help from humans, all organic, of course. I’ll never forget when I saw that he’d planted squash. I recognized the leaves in his pen and stood there in awe, holding my son who was just a baby at the time. I thought Julie had planted them and when she said, no, it took me a moment. How did they get there? I pondered.  Julie filled in some of the gaps, explaining that Basil had done it all. He’d even provide the seeds, which he’d eaten some days before. That’s when I did what any exhausted mother would do and I laughed my guts out! A pig who’d planted a garden! It was amazing! Outstanding! Unbelievable!

Julie quietly watched me while tears of laughter and joy streamed down my face. Of course she knew her pig was exceptional and the fact that he’d planted his own garden was like, well, to be expected. I mean, after all, he was smart, talented, and good-looking. Not only did he plant a garden, he educated people by helping to show the importance of the humane treatment of animals. He was accomplished and wise and, little did we all know, destined to be a star.