I BUY MY PIGS 15 



of a single instance in which a runt ever devel- 

 oped into a healthy pig." 



After reading this oracular essay, I reflected a 

 bit. Daniel had done me. No, that was not quite 

 fair to Daniel. I had done myself, and Daniel 

 was the highly amused medium by which I had 

 been done. 



Well, I had paid eighteen dollars for a bit of 

 experience, and it might be of that value in the 

 end, but just at that moment it appeared a rather 

 high price. But then, think of the vast amuse- 

 ment my friends had received and the general 

 rejoicing of the public over the joke. At the 

 thought of this I grew hot and cold by turns. 



I soon decided on a plan of action. That night, 

 under cover of darkness, I drove to a neighboring 

 town with my son, and bought a couple of fine, 

 healthy pigs, for which I paid the modest price 

 of eight dollars, leaving the sole surviving runt 

 with the farmer, who promised to put him out 

 of the way. 



And so, the next day, when jovial friends 

 called to view my runts, they expressed much 

 astonishment at the unreliability of gossip, and 

 each and every one appeared much discomfited 

 and cast down. 



Now the new pigs throve bravely and ate 

 ravenously. True, they squealed raucously when 

 they did not get their food at the regular periods, 



