The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-06-04
TOMMY'S PETS.
How . Little Scrub Pig Grew to He Fine
Black Colt.


Come and see my horse" said Tom
my Lister, to Roy Jester. And they
left their game of marbles, and Tommy
led the way round behind the barn and
leaned over pig pen, where small
runt Of pig was scratching his hide
against fence post.
"Where is the horse you were going
to show me?" asked Roy.
That's him." said Tom, tossing a
straw at the grunting pig.
''That's nothing but q scrub pig, pad
give me a lots better one If ! would put
him up and tend to him; but who wants
to bother with scrub pig. 1t will die
more than likely, and then you will
have all the trouble of feeding it for
nothing. Besides, don't like pigs any
how. they are SO dirty and smell SO. :"
And Roy turned up his nose in contempt
at the pig.
why, gave Mr.. Moffitt two dollars
for that pig, and picked blackberries
for the money" exclaimed Tommy,
''and I'll tell you it was awfully hot
and dry In that blackberry patch, and
it took five whole days to earn the
money"
"Well. I'd never a bought scrub pig
with the money"
What would you've bought theu?"
'Why. Id a bought one of those red
wagons with ~. S. Mail in bright
letters on the sides, like Al Cormick
has got"
II can make a wagon that's good
enough for me and still have the pig
left" argued Tommy.
"Yes, but who wants to bother to
stop and feed dirty old pig, and then
think of having to clean the pen and
carry fresh straw for bed. no pigs for
me, il you please. Give me the red
wagon all the time. But I'd like to see
the wagon you'd make. Ill bet it's a
daisy anyhow" said Roy. in derision.
''Come round to the shop, and I'll
show you. 1t is almost DONE" and
round to the shop they went where the
wagon was in process of construction.
GLOW did you get those wheels SO
round?" exclaimed Roy.
II took the compass, and marked out
the circles on the boards, fastened the
boards in the vice and sawed them out
with the key-hole saw"
swell, suppose it will do just as well
as AIS L. $. Mail, but then the other
fellows will laugh cause it amt got no
paint on it
well, / suppose ! can paint my
wagon, too" and SO he did, and Roy
confessed it looked very well.
A year passed by and Roy had for
gotten all about the pig. when one day
Tommy called to him, and said ''Come
and see my pig
''Oh, don't care nothing about pigs,
said Roy, There always squealing.' .
This one don't squeal," asserted
Tommy, as he led the way round the
barn, and Roy looked in the empty pig
pen.
Il don't see any pig"
''There she is said Tommy, calling
to a fat, sleek calf that came running
eager for the lick of salt that he carried.
''Aint she daisy? And see how tame
she is. You can rub her head, and get
right on her back, and she doesn't mind
it a Bit
''Where did you get hcr?"
Il sold the pig and bought her. The
pig got SO big and fat pa said it wouldn't
pay to keep it any longer, SO / sold it
and bought the calf, and I've got money
enough to buy another pig besides"
The pig came in due time, and Tommy
was the happy possessor Of a pig and
calf. Roy still expressed his disgust Of
all pigs, but Tommy asserted that if it
had not been for the pig he never would
have got the calf. And Roy acknowl-
edged that the calf was grand success,
for she was soon trained to pull the
home made wagon and both the boys.
Many and many were the afternoons
that the boys spent riding behind the
red calf on the stout broad-wheeled
wagon: and the calf seemed to enjoy
the sport as much as the boys, for she
was always rewarded by liberal feed
Of oats or bran with sprinkle of salt
thrown in as relish. But finally the
calf grew to be COW, and the boys
soon learned that calves and pigs grow
up to be cows and hogs much quicker
than boys and girls grow to be men
and women.
Tommy's father called him one morn
ing, and Tommy found he had a fine
calf gamboling around the COW. Then
1t was great fun to train the new calf
and Roy and Tom spent hours and
hours, subduing the playful disposition
of the new calf.
One evening Tommy told his friend
that he had ten pigs instead of one:
nine OF them not more than week
old. One day Tommy's father told him
that he might sell his pigs and COW
and calf and and get the long wished
for colt.
Tommy slipped away into the corner
of the barn and cried awhile to See his
pets driven off. but his father and
mother showed him that it was best.
| And when the fine black colt came to
the barn that night Tommys sorrow
was turned to shouts of JOY. and Roy
was at once called in to the rejoicing.
Come and see my calves and pigs" he
said, with sly twinkle in his eye as he
lSd the colt out and trotted him around
the barnyard.
Roy forgot the feeding and caring for
the pig and resolved he would raise a
pig and get horse as Tommy Sid
jay A. Rogers, in Farm, Field and
BABY BROWN.