The Pig Brother
Laura E. Richards | United States of America
A messy child learns the value of tidiness through encounters with animals, including a pig who claims to be his brother.
An ostrich, possessing characteristics of both birds and beasts, seamlessly moved between them, surprising and eventually gaining acceptance from both sides.
A sow refuses a wolf's offer to watch her piglets, seeing through the wolf's true intentions and protecting her young.
Crows and owls feud over food and space, crows send a spy, gather information, and drive owls away, leading to peaceful coexistence.
A clever jackal in search of an easy meal watches two fighting goats, but his greed leads to a painful lesson.
Curious spider Anansi finds a magical rock that puts animals to sleep; he tricks them but is eventually outsmarted.
A lion and bear fought over a goat, exhausting themselves, and a fox took advantage, leaving them with regret.
A strong Wolf believed he was a Lion and joined real Lions, only to realize he was just a regular Wolf among them.
A hardworking Butcher's shop is visited by a stray dog that steals a sheep's heart, prompting the Butcher to be more vigilant.
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.
A Thunny and A Dolphin
A frightened Thunny being chased by a Dolphin cleverly leads them both to the shore, where they both get stranded.
Anansi and the Wisdom Pot
A spider named Anansi gathered all the wisdom in a large pot, but a child's simple suggestion shattered it, spreading wisdom everywhere.
Anansi and the Turtle
Clever spider Anansi tricked the turtle with soup, but the turtle's underwater house left Anansi wet and hungry.
A Gardener and His Dog
A dog falls into a well, and the gardener, while trying to save him, gets bitten due to a misunderstanding, leaving the dog behind.
Jackdaw, a plain bird, found and adorned himself with peacock feathers, only to be exposed and ridiculed, returning to his ordinary state in shame.
Anansi, a mischievous spider, tricks Brother Turtle to catch fish for him but learns the value of hard work in the end.
A majestic Mountain with strange noises drew crowds of curious people, but their long wait revealed a humble Mouse instead.
A woman had a special Hen that laid one egg daily, so she tried feeding it more to get two eggs, but it stopped laying altogether.
A fowler deceives a curious Blackbird with the promise of a marvelous city but captures it in a net instead.
A king's pond frightened the princes with a mistaken turtle monster, but the clever turtle escaped and swam back to safety.
A Bat, Thorn Bush, and Seagull started a business, but their ship sank, making the Bat hide, Seagull search, and Thorn Bush cling to fabric.
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?