by Chris Kurtz
Flora turned slowly. The dirt beside the fence was moving. No, wait. It wasn’t dirt. Flora peered closer. It was the same color as dirt but hairy. Then Flora saw a long, naked tail.
“Look out. It’s a rat,” Luna whispered.
Chapter 4
Trouble. Flora was delighted—but scared, too. The creature in the dirt fit Mother’s description perfectly. Mother said rats were a terrible curse on any farm. They were dirty. They were thieves. But mostly they were meaner than a bad toothache. And she also said piglets should stay far away from them.
As Flora took a step sideways, she felt soft fur slide by her. Luna was creeping low to the ground toward the hay bale.
“Luna, don’t go any closer,” Flora whispered.
“Shhh.” Luna brought another paw forward and put it down gently on the dirt. “Rats in the rigging,” she murmured. “Time to tangle.”
Luna flowed ahead one more cat length, gathered her back feet under herself, and then exploded onto the rat. The rat shrieked and turned his teeth to meet his attacker.
“Luna!” Flora shouted. “Get away!”
But the fighters became a single white and brown ball bouncing off the fence. Dirt and fluffs of fur flew up around them. Flora’s rump bumped against the fence on the other side. She hadn’t even noticed that she was backing up.
The rat’s long hose of a tail flailed against the ground, and for an instant he broke free. Then Luna was on him again. She seemed to have hooks and daggers. She was battle ready.
She pinned the shrieking rat on his belly. As he strained his head back to land a bite, Luna sank her teeth deep into his neck. He quivered, mouth open, and then lay still.
Luna did not release him at first. Her eyes blinked slowly, but her teeth stayed right where they were. The swirl of dirt and fur settled on Luna and all around. She gave the rat a shake and then ever so slowly released her grip. After taking a step back, she hopped up on a fence post and began to clean herself.
Flora looked away from the frightening scene—only to see Mother and a half circle of awestruck piglets watching too.
Mother came forward. “On behalf of myself and my family, thank you.”
Luna stopped her cleaning. “Please don’t mention it. We all have our tasks on the farm, and I am happy to do my part.”
“It is very much appreciated,” said Mother. “And now if you would be so kind, please remove this nasty, vile creature from our home.”
“Naturally, madam.”
Flora looked back at the rat. His open mouth showed long yellow teeth. His eyes were open too.
Jumping down from her perch, Luna stepped around the rat to find a good grip, then seized him in her teeth, and, moving backwards, began to drag him over the dirt. Flora was surprised at how big the rat was—as big as Luna’s head. He was also clearly heavy, judging from the way Luna strained as she tugged.
Flora trotted forward to help.
“Flora!” Her mother’s voice made her stop. “Not another step.”
“I thought you said I should be helpful.” Flora watched as Luna slowly eased herself through the slats in the fence. The rat disappeared one tiny jerk at a time.
“Flora, honey. Let the cat do what cats do. You just worry about what pigs do.”
And what do pigs do? Flora wondered. She was afraid she knew the answer: Nothing.
As she drifted off to sleep that night, her mind filled with a determined thought—almost a plan. Maybe most pigs did nothing but eat and sleep. But that wasn’t good enough for this pig. When trouble came next time, Flora would be ready.
Chapter 5
After breakfast, Flora gathered the piglets together to announce a new game. “It’s called Cats and Rats.”
“Yay!” her brothers cheered.
“Who wants to be a rat?”
The cheering stopped.
“Flora,” came a warning.
Flora glanced around to see her mother rubbing her shoulder against a fence post. She wasn’t looking at her children, but clearly she was paying attention.
Flora turned back to her brothers. “Good news, everyone,” she said. “In this game, nobody has to be a rat.”
Her brothers cheered again.
“Okay, all you cats.” Flora’s eyes swept the ground to either side of her. “We need to look for a rat substitute.”
In a moment they had two suitable imitations. One was half an orange with all of the juice squeezed out. The other was a balled-up paper bag.
Flora decided to use the paper bag first and nosed it into the circle of piglets.
“Stand clear,” she commanded, backing up a few steps and then crouching onto her belly. “Watch and learn—and when I give you the signal, say, ‘Rats in the rigging—time to tangle.’ ”
Flora crept forward, making an effort to stay very low. This wasn’t as easy as Luna made it look. Flora’s legs dragged on the ground instead of stepping cleanly. But she managed to stay down.
“Now!” she said.
“Rats in the rigging—time to tangle,” the piglets chanted.
Flora concentrated on making her tail twitch and hoped it was working even though she couldn’t see. She drew a few steps closer. Then, gathering her legs under her, Flora sprang forward and leaped on the paper bag. It made a satisfyingly loud crunch as she stomped it into the ground with her hooves.
Her brothers cheered and then, under Flora’s watchful eye, tried out their own rat-attack styles until the paper bag was a tattered mess that no longer crunched at all.
“All right,” Flora announced. “Time for Rat Number Two.”
Unbelievably, the others were already tired. As she watched, they flopped down against one another for their morning nap.
Well, she didn’t need them to practice.
Flora crouched and attacked. The orange peel flipped up and rolled toward the fence. Flora charged again and missed. Her shoulder smacked into the lowest board.
Ow.
But wait. Was that a cracking sound she’d heard? She looked around to make sure the piglets hadn’t stirred. Mother was asleep too.
Flora leaned against the fence board again. It moved under her weight. She pressed forward. The board gave a soft wooden creak and then parted into two pieces. She slipped through until her head was free, then carefully and quietly crawled all the way out.
Flora looked around. She was standing near the junk heap! There was the broken wheelbarrow! There were the broken tools and chicken wire!
She had escaped the pigpen at last!
Chapter 6
Flora scampered past the junk heap and around the corner of the barn.
Bright sunshine made her blink. The green grass under her hooves felt springy and alive. The warmth on her back made her want to squeal and kick up her back legs. But she was pretty sure this would attract attention, maybe even a dog.
Flora quickly glanced around, but she was alone.
A gravel road led out from the barn, but where it went, Flora couldn’t see. Off to one side of the road was a cornfield, and off to the other side was more green grass. There were fences all over, but none could keep her from going where she wanted to go. Without another thought, she trotted down the road, her hooves click-clicking on the gravel.
Was she still too loud? What happened to piglets that escaped and got caught? She didn’t like thinking about that.
Flora wiggled under a fence into the cornfield. It was cool and quiet beneath the leaves. Only green light made it through to this secret place, and it filled her with energy. She dashed off between two rows of corn. She turned sharply and zigzagged between the stalks. Wheeeee! The tall plants shivered as she bumped them. With green flying by on either side, she zigzagged back the other way. The world of a cornfield seemed large and small at the same time. Flora could hardly see three feet in front of her; yet she knew that the field went on and on.
Flora plowed to a stop.
Why was she buzzing around in circles like a barnyard fly? Lucky Lu
na could do it every day if she wanted, but this might be Flora’s only chance for adventure!
As she stood still, she heard the dogs barking— louder and closer than ever before. She tipped her head to listen. The sound was in front of her. She quieted her heart and headed straight for it.
The sound stopped. She put her snout up to sniff. An explorer had to use all her senses to find her way in unfamiliar territory. But the only scent that filled Flora’s nose was a green and corny smell. She kept going. The cornfield ended at a road. This one was bigger than the road near the barn. Flora took one cautious step into the sunshine.
“Hike!” someone shouted. Flora tucked herself back into the cornstalks.
“Pull, Oscar, pull,” the voice said. “Show these young pups how to make it fly.”
Pulling? This she had to see. Flora poked her head out.
A team of animals, five in all, was coming up the road. They were hooked together on either side of a rope. In a stream of black, white, yellow, and brown fur, the animals flowed forward, pulling steadily against harnesses at their shoulders.
So these must be dogs!
“Come on, Oscar, pull!” the voice said.
Flora gazed at the long snouts and flowing tails. She watched as the many-colored faces drew near. Pink tongues flapped and rolled over sharp white teeth. Ears were tipped back. But it was the eyes that stopped Flora’s heart. Bright. Determined. Proud.
Flora wondered if her eyes would ever look like that.
At the end of the line was a man riding on a cart with four wheels that clattered and bounced over the gravel road. Dark hair covered his face, and he looked fierce.
“Hike!” The man cracked a whip, and the dogs pressed on with new energy.
There was one dog in the lead, and his ears picked up slightly as his eyes rested on Flora. He seemed to be taking in that she was out of place, but he didn’t break his stride. The other dogs in the line now glanced at her. Flora’s knees trembled. She knew that she should run away, but she was mesmerized. There was something in the teamwork, in the purpose and effort that they shared, that made it hard for her to breathe.
Would her brothers ever consider trying this? Being a team?
The man caught sight of her. “Whoa!” he shouted, and pulled back on a lever that made the wheels stop moving. The dogs halted.
“Dabnabbit! Every time we start the strength training, something happens. Why are you out of your pen, little piggy? Somebody needs to learn a lesson.”
Although the dogs had pulled in silence, now they stamped and whined and barked. They clearly didn’t like being stopped.
Only the lead dog was calm. His eyes were still on Flora, and she could now see they were soft blue with a black pupil in the middle. This must be Oscar.
She watched as his tongue pulsed in and out with each breath. She stuck her tongue out and tried it, but it felt strange. What was it supposed to do for her?
The man stepped off the cart and slowly approached Flora. “This’ll be the only time I find you out of your pen. Guaranteed!” He stretched out his hands. “C’mere, piggy.”
Uh-oh. This looked like trouble.
Flora thought fast and skittered sideways out of reach, just as the man lunged down to grab her.
“Confound it!” he yelled. “Don’t make me set these dogs on you.”
She dashed around to the other side of the team and caught sight of their sharp teeth. Loose dogs would be more trouble than she could handle—plan or no plan. Then why was she still standing near them? Something made her want to stay close. These dogs were determined, excited, but not angry or mean. They were eager to get back to their job.
What Flora really wanted to do was ask them some questions. She hustled closer, then stopped. Two dogs barked and yanked sideways against their harnesses. The cart shifted, and the man walked back to steady it. The barkers kept up their noise. Only Oscar stood stock-still, moving just his head to watch Flora. She took a few steps back. No one seemed to be in a talking mood.
The man came around the cart. “Stop running in circles, you little barnyard bonehead.” He stepped toward her, hands out.
Flora skipped out of reach again—this time farther up the road.
“Fine.” The man stomped back onto the cart. “I’ll catch you later.”
He grabbed up the dog lines, and the cart started to roll. “Hike!” he shouted. Oscar and the others jumped against their harnesses. They pushed forward, and the cart gained speed.
Wow. Flora’s heart raced.
The whole operation barreled in her direction. Flora began to run alongside. She stuck her tongue out sideways and lunged with each step as if she were pushing against her own harness.
“Hike, piggy!” shouted the man. Flora glanced over her shoulder. The man’s angry frown was replaced by a grin. “So you’re a runner! Come on, you little breakout artist, keep up! It’s training time!”
The encouraging words went right to her head. What a feeling it would be to run with a team. She imagined herself at the head of a long pack of dogs. Flora surged again. She concentrated on putting not just speed but power into each stride. Flora threw her head down and skittered as fast as she could.
But the dogs were much faster. She was soon running next to the cart.
“Hike!” the man shouted down to her. Flora didn’t want to give up. But she was winded now. Her legs weren’t as strong as her determination. She fell behind and had to breathe their dust.
Up ahead, the cart stopped, and the man set the lever against the wheels. The dogs began barking again. Flora threw herself down on a patch of grass at the side of the road, heaving and gasping.
“You’ve got spirit, don’t you?” the man asked, walking over to her.
This time she had no energy to run away. Soon she felt strong fingers rub the top of her head and behind her ears. Flora had never felt anything so delicious. The man bent his face close, and she tried to reach up and lick it.
“Troublemaker,” said the man. “Cute, but a big troublemaker.”
Flora didn’t even struggle when he carried her to the cart.
“Hike!” the man shouted again.
A moment later, Flora was moving faster than she ever had. The wind rushing past her ears felt wonderful. Unfortunately, the team was headed back toward her pen.
Stop! Turn around! she wanted to shout. She tried to wiggle free. Don’t end my adventure this soon!
Chapter 7
It was no use. Flora was plopped back in her pen, where everyone was huddled together in a corner. Her brothers jumped up and ran over to her, all asking at the same time where she’d been.
Flora sprawled in the dirt.
“Children, calm down.” Mother stepped into the crowd and nosed Flora in the leg, sniffing her gently. “Flora’s been in the cornfield,” she announced. She sniffed again. “And she had a run-in with dogs. Flora, honey, are you all right? Did they hurt you? What made you run out into that wild world?”
Flora took a deep breath and unsteadily got to her hooves. She watched the man with the beard walk back to their pen with a hammer in hand.
“I—I just wanted a look around.” Flora wasn’t sure if Mother would change from being worried to angry. “I leaned against a board and it broke, so I decided to take a walk.”
There was a cracking sound. Everyone looked over to see the man toss the broken board into the junk heap.
“Children, stay away from the opening.” Mother shooed her family into the corner. “Remember, there’s nothing but danger and trouble out there.”
The man dragged a new board over and began nailing it in place.
“Did the dogs attack you in the cornfield?” Alfred asked.
“They’re not attacking dogs,” said Flora, “and they don’t go into the cornfield. They’re pulling dogs.” She looked around at the staring eyes. This must be how Luna felt when Flora was looking at her. For the first time in her life she was the one who had a story to tell.
&
nbsp; “It happened like this...”
No one interrupted, and Flora told the truth except for the part where she fell behind. In her story, Flora ran flank to flank with the pulling dogs, her hooves pounding the road as she matched her running companions step for galloping step.
“That sounds even better than digging up a nail,” Alfred said. “You are the bravest pig ever.”
“A pig needs to be careful, not brave, Alfred,” said Mother. “There won’t be any more digging up nails, and ... let’s just see how well the farmer fixed the fence.” She walked over to the new board and pushed against it with her whole body. Then she turned and faced her children. “It’s sufficient. So there won’t be any more narrow escapes from packs of running dogs, either. I’m sure Flora understands how close she came to disaster. She won’t be so foolish and reckless next time.”
Next time, thought Flora. I can’t wait.
Flora was excited to tell Luna about her adventure, and her chance came at naptime the following day.
“I got out and went for a run in the wild outside!” she said when Luna jumped up on her post.
“That’s what I heard.” Luna wrapped her tail around her feet. “And just how wild was it out there?”
“Getting out was amazing!” she said. “Actually, I spent most of my time in the cornfield, which is an excellent place for hiding, but the best part was running with the dogs.”
“Hmm.” The tip of Luna’s tail twitched. “Were they barking and slobbering and sticking their tongues out all over their faces?”
Flora sat down. She remembered now that Luna didn’t have nice things to say about dogs. She was right about the tongues and the barking, but Flora also remembered the way their strong legs never gave up and the blue eyes of the lead dog. She wanted to run with them again. “Why don’t you like dogs?” she asked.
