A/N: This is a response to Qoheleth's St. Malachy O'More challenge. I was assigned with the phrase "Sus in Cribro", which translates as "pig in the sieve". If you want to know more about the challenge visit Qoheleth's profile.
The cover image is the illustration on which I based this story. It does not belong to me, nor do any of the characters; they were all created by Beatrix Potter.
Your input is appreciated!
Once upon a time there was a farmer by the name of Mr. McGregor. Mr. McGregor was a bespectacled man with a long white beard. He lived with his beautiful plump wife, their young rosy-cheeked children and a loyal dog with magnificent black fur.
Mr. McGregor had a big garden at the back of his house. The whole family lived on the profits they made from selling the vegetables he grew there: potatoes, cucumbers, radishes, french beans and onions; Mr. McGregor's garden had them all in abundance.
Now Mr. McGregor did not only sell his vegetables. Many of them ended up in the family meals, nicely cooked by his beloved wife. And sometimes, if he was lucky, he would catch mischievous little bunnies who tried to steal his crops and add them to the dinner table.
One day, the pig known as Pigling Bland visited Mr. McGregor's village, along with his friend, the beautiful black sow called Pig-wig. The two pigs dreamed of becoming potato-farmers and were in search of a piece of land to start their farm. But they haven't found a decent place to settle down yet and so they wandered the countryside, hoping to come across their ideal future home.
The poor pigs had not eaten since the day before and their stomachs were rumbling in protest. "I'm so hungry!" said Pig-wig, who was an impatient little sow.
Pigling, who was more sensible, replied: "We shall wait until we've passed the village and try to look for food in the forest."
Pig-wig agreed and they kept walking down the road. When they reached Mr. McGregor's house, Pig-wig saw the vegetables growing in his garden through the fence and said to Pigling: "We can have some of those radishes. I'm sure the owner won't mind!"
Pigling Bland tried to explain to her that it would be wrong to steal a poor man's radishes, but Pig-wig was already at the garden gate and, finding it open, she slipped inside, not paying heed to her friend.
She found the yard to be full of delightful vegetables and decided to start with some lettuce. Pigling gingerly followed her through the gate and found her already munching on some cabbages. Seeing that there was no one around, Pigling was tempted to help himself as well, but he didn't have time to entertain that thought for long before he heard footsteps close by.
Mr. McGregor was just returning from the carrot patch when he saw the Berkshire sow pulling out his cabbages. Pigling had thankfully managed to hide among some bushes. He tried to warn his friend of the imminent danger by gesturing as much as he could afford, but she didn't see him.
The farmer took some steps back from the oblivious pig and opened the door to the tool-shed slightly, just enough for his hand to fit through. He put his arm inside and reached for the sieve that he used whenever he found intruders in his patches. However, the intruders had always been little rabbits that he could easily capture under the sieve and not fully grown pigs such as Pig-wig.
Mr. McGregor looked at the battered sieve on his hands and saw that his usual plan would not work that day. And besides, the gluttonous little sow was very beautiful and he found himself pitying the poor animal.
He put the sieve back in the tool-shed and slowly approached Pig-wig. "Get out of my garden, little pig," he said, trying to sound kind. Pig-wig was too shocked to respond. "Get out and never return, for you will never again find me as generous as I am today."
Pig-wig slowly nodded and started to leave, but then she saw Pigling Bland, frightened in the bushes, and she slowly walked toward him. When she was next to where he was hiding, she snorted loudly as if asking for Mr. McGregor's permission.
Mr. McGregor saw Pigling and nodded. "Yes, your friend can go, too. Now, hurry little pigs, before I change my mind!"
And hurry they did. Before the farmer had time to utter another word, they had run to the gate, pushed it open and disappeared down the village road. Once they were out of the village, they both rejoiced and, even though Pigling scolded his friend for being impatient, he did not forget to thank her for not leaving him behind.
And so the two pigs resumed their search, roaming the countryside until the day came when they could finally be potato farmers.
Mrs. McGregor had heard the racket the pigs made upon their departure and she popped her head out the window to see what the matter was. She saw the dug patches and the half-eaten cabbages and she wondered why her husband was not chasing after the culprits as he usually enjoyed to do. "What happened here?" she asked.
Mr. McGregor smiled and stroked his long beard. "You cannot fit a pig in a sieve..." he mused.