The Pig Brother
A messy child learns the value of tidiness through encounters with animals, including a pig who claims to be his brother.
Once there was a very messy child. He left his toys and books on the floor and put his dirty shoes on the table. He made a mess with jam, spilled ink on his clothes, and didn’t seem to care about being tidy.
One day, the Tidy Angel appeared in his room.
"This can't go on!" said the Angel. "This is too messy! You need to go outside and meet your brother while I clean up here."
"I don't have a brother!" said the child.
"Yes, you do," said the Angel. "You just don’t know him yet. Go into the garden and wait for him. He’ll find you."
The child didn't understand, but he went into the garden anyway.
Soon, a squirrel came by, flicking his tail.
"Are you my brother?" the child asked.
"Of course not!" said the squirrel. "I keep my fur clean, my home neat, and my babies are well cared for. You are nothing like me!" And off the squirrel went.
The child waited.
Next, a little bird came hopping along.
"Are you my brother?" asked the child.
"No way!" said the bird. "I am the tidiest bird in the whole garden. Look at my smooth feathers and perfect nest. Brother? I don't think so!" The bird flew away, and the child kept waiting.
A little later, a large cat walked by.
"Are you my brother?" the child asked.
The cat looked at him. "Look in the mirror," said the cat, "and you’ll find your answer. I have spent the whole morning cleaning myself. You clearly haven’t washed in a long time. We are not the same!"
The cat walked off proudly, and the child waited some more.
Finally, a pig came trotting by.
The child didn't want to ask, but the pig spoke first.
"Hello, brother!" said the pig.
"I’m not your brother!" said the child.
"Oh, yes, you are," said the pig. "You look just like me. I'm not proud of it, but we are family. Come, let's roll in the mud! There's lots of it in the barnyard."
"I don't like mud!" said the child.
"Really? Look at your dirty hands, your shoes, and your clothes!" said the pig. "Come with me, and you can even have some of my food."
"I don’t want your food!" cried the child, starting to cry.
Just then, the Tidy Angel returned.
"I’ve cleaned everything," she said. "Now, will you go with your Pig Brother, or will you come with me and be tidy from now on?"
"I want to be with you!" cried the child, grabbing the Angel’s hand.
The pig snorted. "Good! More food for me!" And he trotted away.
Audio available for B1 version
Once there was a very messy child.
He left his toys and books on the floor and put his dirty shoes on the table.
He made a mess with jam, spilled ink on his clothes, and didn’t seem to care about being tidy.
One day, the Tidy Angel appeared in his room.
"This can't go on!" said the Angel.
"This is too messy!
You need to go outside and meet your brother while I clean up here."
"I don't have a brother!" said the child.
"Yes, you do," said the Angel.
"You just don’t know him yet.
Go into the garden and wait for him. He’ll find you."
The child didn't understand, but he went into the garden anyway.
Soon, a squirrel came by, flicking his tail.
"Are you my brother?" the child asked.
"Of course not!" said the squirrel.
"I keep my fur clean, my home neat, and my babies are well cared for.
You are nothing like me!"
And off the squirrel went.
The child waited.
Next, a little bird came hopping along.
"Are you my brother?" asked the child.
"No way!" said the bird.
"I am the tidiest bird in the whole garden.
Look at my smooth feathers and perfect nest. Brother?
I don't think so!"
The bird flew away, and the child kept waiting.
A little later, a large cat walked by.
"Are you my brother?" the child asked.
The cat looked at him.
"Look in the mirror," said the cat, "and you’ll find your answer.
I have spent the whole morning cleaning myself.
You clearly haven’t washed in a long time.
We are not the same!"
The cat walked off proudly, and the child waited some more.
Finally, a pig came trotting by.
The child didn't want to ask, but the pig spoke first.
"Hello, brother!" said the pig.
"I’m not your brother!" said the child.
"Oh, yes, you are," said the pig.
"You look just like me.
I'm not proud of it, but we are family.
Come, let's roll in the mud!
There's lots of it in the barnyard."
"I don't like mud!" said the child.
"Really?
Look at your dirty hands, your shoes, and your clothes!" said the pig.
"Come with me, and you can even have some of my food."
"I don’t want your food!" cried the child, starting to cry.
Just then, the Tidy Angel returned.
"I’ve cleaned everything," she said.
"Now, will you go with your Pig Brother, or will you come with me and be tidy from now on?"
"I want to be with you!" cried the child, grabbing the Angel’s hand.
The pig snorted. "Good!
More food for me!"
And he trotted away.
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Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Tidy Angel wanted the child to meet his "brother" in the garden?
- How did the animals' responses make the child realize something about himself?
- Why do you think the pig called the child his "brother"? What does that say about the child’s habits?
- Can you think of a time when being messy caused you a problem? How did you fix it?
- What lesson do you think the child learned from this story, and why is it important to be tidy?
Fable Quotes
"Taking care of your surroundings is the first step toward taking care of yourself."
"To improve yourself, you must first be willing to let go of old habits."
"Every choice you make shapes the person you become."
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