Some Pigs Have it Easy
Punch had it made from the beginning. He was one of the largest of a litter of six piglets, and he showed no qualms about using that size to influence his desires—whether that was getting to the best ninny on his mother’s “feeding station” or pushing his siblings out of the way at playtime. But he was a happy pig, all the time.
There were times when his siblings would squabble and fuss and their squeals could be heard across the seven acres they had to roam. But Punch never squealed. No matter the situation, he remained a happy pig.
For that reason, I chose Punch to be the star of a new series of children’s books—No Mistakes Grammar for Kids. But Punch being a happy pig may not have been my only reason. He fits the personality of the pig in the books more than any other pig on the farm. While he seems to be always happy, he also comes across as a little bit slow. His brothers and sisters are continually tricking him out of his food, and of all the pigs on the sanctuary, he is the only one I’ve seen who gets lost. If he strays too far from his barn, and if no one is with him, he is at a loss regarding how to get home.
During the first year, I had to go to the other side of the pond three times to lead him home. Each time, he seemed relieved to see me coming to get him.
Punch is a brave pig though. Even when Joe the horse would come to eat with the pigs, Punch would defend his food by trying to push Joe away.
Punch is also one of the few animals that were born on the sanctuary. We neuter all animals, but his mother had come to us as a rescue, and, unbeknownst to us, she was pregnant. You can read about it in a book I wrote Squeak Finds A Home.
I will also be continually uploading pictures of Punch and his siblings, so browse the site and take a look.
