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The Short Tale of Chanky Pig
By Jim Fresh
Copyright 1999 James Owen, the great
master of storytelling
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Chanky Pig lived on a small farm in the South of England, not far from the Market town of Birenchester. He was the happiest smiliest pig in the pen, the others used to squeal, ‘Hey Chanky, give us a smile and cheer us up!’ and Chanky would wrinkle up his snout and give them the biggest, happiest smile he could muster. The other pigs would squeal in delight and run round and round and round waving their wiggly tails and laughing at each other. This also made Chanky very happy and he would smile harder and harder until his eyes were tight shut and his snout started to go all white.
The pigs all had a very happy life because whenever they felt sad Chanky would cheer them up with one of his magic smiles, but then everything
changed.
On a cold windy winter’s day Chanky woke up to see all the other pigs being rounded up by the farmer and his
boy. They forced them into a huge metal cage on the back of a lorry. The other pigs were squealing and
snorting in absolute terror and they were stamping on each other to try and escape. Chanky looked on in disbelief, he was crying and squealing but he
was locked in his pen and couldn’t go and help them. Chanky could see fear in the other pig’s tear glistening eyes and he tried to smile to reassure
them…………and he tried………..and he tried. He wriggled his snout,
wiggled his
tail, screwed up his eyes……..but he couldn’t smile, he could only cry.
The lorry pulled off from the farm gates, the other pigs were making the
most awful noise Chanky had ever heard and he fell to the ground
heartbroken, lonely, and scared. As the squeals subsided Chanky pushed his
face into the muddy floor and soaked it with his tears.
Later that day the farmer returned, the metal cage was empty apart from a
few muddy trotter-prints. Chanky lifted his face from the mud and stared at
the farmer, hoping for some explanation, some justification. The farmer
looked at him for a long while, lowered his eyes and removed his cap, and
said,
‘Chanky, you are too ugly to sell at market, your twisted grimacing face
would turn the stomach of even your own mother, the other pigs used to take
the piss out of you and you never even realised because you are slightly
retarded dear boy.’
Chanky’s little heart sank, he suddenly realized how the other pigs had
laughed at him, how they derided him for his unusual looks. He sank deeper
and deeper into the dark, cold, bitter world of his blackest emotions.
Eventually he raised his head and looked the farmer in the eye. The farmer
could see the change in Chanky, and he met his gaze directly, after some
moments the farmer spoke,
‘Chanky, the other pigs are dead now, they have all been turned into
sausages, they are butchered, packaged and sold already. You though, you
will live here forever because you are too ugly to sell, so count your
blessings young pig, count your blessings……’ and with that he turned and
left.
Chanky stared forlornly at the setting sun, in the course of one day his
life had changed forever…….he sat…….he watched…….he thought…….and
then……………………..
Chanky smiled the biggest smile he had ever ever smiled, and he would never
stop smiling again, and he smiles still.…..to this very day.
The End
MunKi OuT
