In search of Santa Swine

'Twas the day before Christmas and all through the yard, not a creature was bothered 'cept Ginger's young brood, who were bent on adventure.....

Everything was sorted: tree and decorations done;mince pies baked; fresh apples and carrots stocked for the menagerie; and dried fruit put aside for the poultry. All that was left to do was pay final pre-celebration visits and fetch the festive goose.

Mangel, Pepper and Wurzel's new pen was finished just ahead of Christmas and they were thoroughly enjoying the entertainment laid on for them. Nothing too high-tech: just 'tossing the bricks', but it proved to be very distracting.

So everyone was fully occupied.

'Cept Little Polly piglet and her siblings. Ginger's fault really. She's fond of tucking them up at night with a little bedtime story. They quite like the one about the Wicked Giant Who Lives in the Valley - he has a really scary, smelly, noisy wagon which roars up and down the lanes when little piggies have been misbehaving. But their favourite is the one about Santa Swine who Lives Down the Lane and brings tasty titbits to well-behaved piglets. Just once a year though. Ginger couldn't quite explain that one. Curious. Well; what's a brood of little ones to do when things get a bit quiet around the Reserve? Of course, they swore they were really just trying to get to that tasty bit of rotton wood on the other side of the fence. But before they knew it - Whoosh, under the fence they slipped and away they scampered. Down the lane. ---- But that leads to the Valley! Ginger was in hot pursuit --- but she had to make a bigger hole in the fence first. And then she was off. There followed A Big Adventure. Lots of sliding down the dip in search of Tasty Bits (maybe Santa Swine had dropped a few?); darting across the lane and up and down .... how far to go before waking the Wicked Giant?? Gosh, the seven little piggies had such fun. And, actually, Ginger thought it was pretty neat too. Though she wasn't letting on.....

And then who should come along and spoil it all? Yes; Him: The Big Boss. Oh, He was Not pleased. Now - he could have just opened the gate and everyone would have gone home straight away. Oh yes, they would. But he tried to get them back through the fence-hole. And oh no, he couldn't. Oh Dear. What Chaos. What squealing. What language.For over an hour.

Then Mum got a bit fed up and decided it was time for lunch.... and eventually The B.B. struck on the idea of opening the gate and getting some food out (well, actually it was that nice young girl who thought of the food - one wink from Ginger was all that took! She should stick around!) and then it was all over in a jiffy - bar repairing the now rather large hole in the fence. Oh dear. What a jolly Adventure to have and how the Three Tonners chortled to themselves. Best bit of entertainment they've had in ages; better even than tossing bricks.......

But goodness wasn't everyone hungry when it was all over. Tumbling over themselves to get to the food. All thanks to Little Polly Piglet.

Don't some say redheads are more trouble than any others.......