“Boy this looks delicious!” Porcupine exclaimed, enticed by the scrumptious food. The sun shined brilliantly on Dog, Porcupine, and Dove as they feasted. However, the joyous atmosphere dwindled when Pig trotted over with a herd of sheep. Pig smirked at the scene before him.
“Ha, you guys are having a picnic? What a bunch of losers!” The sheep bleated in laughter.
Porcupine and Dove cowered behind Dog, frightened by the huge flock of sheep. Dog swallowed the last bit of meat in his mouth and calmly stood up to face Pig. He smiled.
“Is there a problem with having lunch with some friends?” Dog retorted. “You are not the mightiest of us animals just because you have the most food. You have no--”
“Ha! You’re just jealous because you’re weak!” Pig leered at Porcupine and Dove and snickered. “Look at all the friends I have! Strength will always come in numbers!”
Dog glared at Pig. “We will see.” Dog packed up the remainings of the picnic and led his friends back into the forest from where they came.
“Hooray, comrades! Victory is ours!” Pig and the sheep cheered and bleated and honked their way back into a cave on the face of a cliff nearby. Although Pig’s round, meaty body was barely enough to pass through the cave’s cramped entrance, the interior of the cave was surprisingly large. A colossal table, lazily fashioned from an old tree trunk, was situated in the center of the cave. Pig trotted over to what seemed to be a throne and sat down gratefully. Night had fallen, so he decided to celebrate their victory against Dog with a great feast.
“Feast now, my friends! For I have more food than any other animal in the land!”
Even in all the ruckus that night, Pig fell asleep. When he awoke, he was alone in the cave. He could smell scraps of food, causing his stomach to growl. Pig chuckled and approached an area behind two boulders, otherwise known as his food storage, and decided to grab an apple to eat. Yet to his surprise, his food storage was empty. Not a scrap of food had been left behind here.
Pig began to panic. That’s when the realization hit him. The sheep had eaten it all.
Pig raced out of his cave, squealing. His power, his food, had been stripped from him. He wandered aimlessly while his hunger grew. He almost gave up all hope until he heard chattering in the forest nearby. Pig hurried behind a cluster of rocks. He spotted Dog, Porcupine, and Dove settle in the shade. The aroma of freshly prepared meat, berries, and grass was just too much for Pig’s body. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled so loudly, a flock of birds nearby flew off, terrified.
Dog had heard the sound too. His ears were perked up. His eyes were alert. “Who is it?”
Pig had no choice but to walk shamefully into the open. He looked at Dog and his friends.
Dog knew Pig was hungry, and looked at his three friends. They nodded in agreement. He stated slowly, “You can have some of our food. But you must agree to leave here and never return. I saw your friends, the sheep, abandon you, and now you stand before us with no food and no power. You will remember well, Pig. You’ll never be a friend of ours here.”
Pig gratefully gobbled up the food and scampered away. He was never seen again.