Beyond the Fence

Poor little Piggy, he is playmate to a young self-centered boy who makes little Piggy listen to his talk and continually orders him around. We’ve all have supposed “friends” like that. But one day, the young boy finds another playmate, and little Piggy is sadly ignored. In his melancholy, little Piggy wanders outside alone into the fields, where, lo and behold, he meets Wild Pig, who invites him to join him. Reluctantly, Little Pig feels obliged to return to his young master who is once again alone and demands his little pet obey all his commands. Finally, after a too long interval of dreaming, Little Piggy just ups and runs away from his demanding lordly master and out to the open field and the company of Wild Pig.

This short story about a character in a constrained setting who finally breaks out of a demeaning relationship may make the reader happy for his success. However, in the story it is nonetheless somewhat depressing to view the powerlessness of the underdog and the unrealistic solution to the problem. The somber shades of browns, grey, and greens infuse the story with an underlying sadness.