Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: The Family Pet (05/15/08)
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TITLE: Betsy The Sow | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lance Wilson, Sr.
05/21/08 -
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This was your traditional farm house. Red roof on the barn, picket fence and about fifteen different farm animals roaming the eight to ten acres that surrounded the house.
As I approached the gate and meandered down the walkway I was greeted by the owner, “Howdy what for can I do ya?” he said with a toothless grin.
The stubble on his chin reminded me of a wire brush. His skin ruddy and leathery from years of toil in the sun. White hair stuck out in puffs under a sweat rimmed John Deer cap. “Ran out of gas. ‘Bout a quarter mile back.” I answered pleasantly. The farmer hooked his thumbs in the braces of his coveralls and nodded solemnly as though I had just explained the dawn of the universe to him. “Well,” he replied after some thought, “ my tractor is down for the count. But ya kin use my phone if’n you’d a mind ta.” I graciously thanked him and we both walked to the house.
“Well triple A can be here in a hour or so . . . guess I’ll wait in my car.” I said. “Well now aint no reason fer that.” my homespun host answered. “Come ‘n sit in tha parlor fer a spell ‘n have a cool drink.” The man’s hospitality was genuine and truth be told I didn’t look forward to the walk back to my Dodge. “Sure. Sure, much obliged.” We sat in two Laz-E-Boy’s on opposite sides of a oak coffee table enjoying the awkward silence that accompanies moments like these.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something large and pink lounging in the shadows. I turned my head and leaned slightly to get a glimpse of what I though was a small divan. Then it move it’s head!
Startled I gazed back at my host and then at the thing in the shadows, then at my host and again at the thing in the shadows. “Oh,” he said finally realizing that this was my comical way of questioning what I was looking at. “I see ya perplex’d bout my Betsy!” he smiled. Betsy, it turned out was a 375 pound sow!
Her head was as huge as a car tire! Her girth seemed melted to the floor. The most unsettling feature was the fact that she only had three legs! “Yep!” my friend with the no teeth began, “this har is some pig!” “Yes” I replied, “I have never seen one this size . . . but er . . . wh- - what happen to it’s leg?” My host leaned back in his chair and took a deep cleansing breath. “Let me tell ya bout this pig.” he began. “Three weeks ago I wuz out in the back field on my tractor when the piston rod blew and the darn thing flipped over. There I was under a ton of metal when from out of nowhere Betsy burst out of her pen grabs me by the shirt collar and pulls me from under the tractor!”
My mouth hung open on it’s own. I blinked in disbelief. “Wow.” I said “Tha’s some pig!” “Ah, but wait,” he retorted. “Two weeks ago my grandson was down by the creek and he slipped on the bank and fell into the rushing waters. Betsy jumped from her pen ran down to the creek and pulled my baby out of thar! Saved his life!”
My mind reeled. This was stuff that you’d hear about on Ripley’s. Leaning forward I exclaimed “My Goodness, this is some pig!” “Tell me about it!” he answered. “Now las week my barn caught fire. I was sleepin’ when it went up in flames. Betsy jumped from her sty, busted down the door and freed all the animals before theys fur got singed!”
Exhausted I collapsed in my chair. “This is . . . is . . . incredible! I have never heard of such bravery from an animal in all my days” My host sat back satisfied and triumphant and gently sipped his glass of cool beverage. “ But,” I asked, “what happen to it’s leg?”
“Well,” the farmer answered, “a pig that good . . . you don’t eat all at once!”
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