The Pig Who Learned to Fly

THE PIG WHO LEARNED TO FLY

A Pig’s Tale: From Pride to Compassion

January 2003

(Architectural photographs courtesy of my friend, Lloyd Turner. Kindly scroll down to the end of the story for information about Lloyd

and the multi-dome home he designed and built.)

Long ago, a long time ago, there were three pigs.

(In the newly translated version of this story,

it begins with ‘Once upon a time’.

However, we are going back to tell the original story,

so we begin with ‘long ago, a long time ago, there were three pigs’.)

These three pigs are usually thought to be brothers. My research, however, shows that they were not actually ‘brothers’ in the literal sense. They were more like friends. But we will call them ‘brothers’.

These pigs were a playful lot. They loved to sing and dance the whole day. Their cares were few. And at night they simply dropped into an exhausted heap on the ground and slept.

One day, rumor had it that there was a wolf nearby. The three of them had been wandering around, bringing joy to others as they shared their celebrations. Now they became worried. What to do?

So they decided it was time to protect themselves. They each decided to at least sleep indoors, in permanent dwellings.

One decided to build a hut made of dry grass. He wasn’t really that interested in ‘settling down'. It could be done quickly and easily...and he would have more time to celebrate.

The second pig decided to build with some twigs, which were plentiful along the riverbed. He thought the river view would be delightful. He took a little more time to build than the second fellow. He had more of an aesthetic sense, and he wanted the hut to be pleasing to the eye. After a few days of hard work, he was finished. It was in the shape of an Indian Teepee, with a colorful hand woven blanket for a door. He loved the sights and sounds of the river, and decided to spend more time sitting outside his hut, rather than dancing and singing. At night, he built a fire inside the teepee, roasted marshmallows, and drank hot chocolate. He liked hearing the river as he fell asleep at night.

The third fellow was the most serious of the three. He took the building job as a major project and wanted his to be ‘the best’. He planned for days before even starting to work. Finally, he decided on handmade brick. Consulting all the architectural books in a nearby library, he drew up a blueprint. He called in a surveyor, a Feng Shui consultant, and a Zen gardener. He wanted everything to be ‘perfect’. First, he hand made each brick, drying them in the sun. Each brick was made from the clay of the region. The mortar was created from mud on the riverbanks. He tinted the mortar a lovely charcoal, dyed with natural dyes from the ashes of his nightly fires. When he was finished, he had a lovely A-frame, with a sunken Japanese bath, overlooking a beautiful Zen garden. (No one had EVER been able to build an A-frame out of bricks! This was one of a kind.) There was a loft with a spiral staircase, not to mention a fireplace made from the river rocks and all hand made furniture, ergonomically designed for the most comfy snuggling into. He installed solar powered panels onto his slanted roof, as an all natural power source, and a weather station mounted on a tripod right on the apex of his roof, with a special Wolf-Detecting sensor. The sensor would set off an indoor alarm whenever a wolf approached.

He had spent months gathering all the indigenous materials with which to create his masterpiece of a home. He couldn’t wait to show the others what a beautiful work of art he had created. He was sure they would ‘die of envy’. He was very proud of himself.

When the homes were completed, the three pigs once again met to celebrate. They enjoyed their reunion and danced even more ecstatically than before.

However, before they could show each other their new homes, they saw the wolf approach, hiding behind trees and slinking into the grasses.

They had agreed upon a signal of alarm. It was to be a high squeal. The first pig gave the alarm, and each ran home.

The wolf, looking at the three different abodes, of course, decided to go for pig Number One. He huffed and puffed, and within 3 tries, the grass hut fell over.

The pig ran to the teepee house of twigs. His brother opened the blanket door, and they huddled together, quivering.

The wolf approached, huffed and puffed, puffed and huffed, and actually, the pigs, knowing he could come right in through the blanketed door any minute, just ran out, squealing, and frantically knocked on the third pig’s door.

The third pig was wondering what they would think of his beautiful creation and landscaping. “I hope they didn’t disturb anything in my garden," he thought. “I’m so glad that wolf came...now they will appreciate all the hard work I have done. Their homes cannot compare with mine. Mine is an all modern work of art AND it is safe from that old wolf.”

He noticed his wolf alarm was ringing. Full of pride, the third pig took his time opening the door. He was dreaming to himself of how they would appreciate all of his handy work. He was looking around at his rooms, the perfectly placed feng shui objects and furniture, wondering what they would think. Maybe he would become famous, even.

By the time the third pig opened his door to his two terrified brothers, the wolf had actually ripped into their clothing and had started mauling and biting them. Their squeals rose in intensity to high-pitched sounds unheard of before in the history of pighood.

Seeing his two brothers in such a terrified, mauled state, the third pig went into a state of shock. First he felt terror for his own life. Then he felt a new emotion. It was different than any feeling he had ever felt. He felt as if he were ten feet tall and of giant proportions. He felt fangs, sharp claws, and a growl come from inside himself. He stood on his tippy toes, opened his mouth, and gave the loudest, blood curdling roar ever heard in that region! It echoed off the mountains, and all the birds flew up into the sky on frightened wings. To this day, there are legends of that roar of gigantic proportions, in the region.

The wolf, stunned, froze into a kind of stupor. “These are not ordinary pigs,” he thought. “They have supernatural powers. I’m out of here!” He turned and ran.

Quickly, the third pig pulled his weak brothers inside, and shut the door.

Next, he quickly dressed his brother’s wounds and made up beds for them. He built a fire to keep them warm and made a healing broth from herbs from the nearby meadows. He looked after them, day and night, until they were completely healed.

Since the three pigs weren’t sure if that wolf would ever return, they had long talks at night in front of the fire. The third pig, feeling compassion for is two brothers, suggested that they stay and live with him. “My home is a safe haven from wolves," he said. “I am proud to be able to share such a safe home with you. I am happy to have worked so hard, as now we can all live together in safety and comfort. We will never be afraid again.”

As he felt this sense of pride in his heart, it swelled to twice it’s normal size. It was such an overwhelmingly loving feeling of pride, he could hardly stand it. He thought his heart would burst into a thousand pieces. It was as if he and his brothers were one pig, and his heart was getting bigger by the moment, not to mention the terrible itching he felt on his back.

Finally, the pig ran outside, to scratch his back on the rough bark of a tree trunk. As he scratched, he felt a scream welling up inside himself. The loving feeling was spreading all over his body and he knew he had to do SOMETHING!!!!!! or he would explode all over the meadow..........AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!his little piggy voice was even louder than the roar at the wolf and the two brothers ran outside to see if he was ok.

They found him laying on the ground with the back of his shirt torn open. They could hardly believe their eyes!!!!!!There on the back of his heart had sprouted two pink little wings, which were quivering and twitching in excitement.

They sat him up and meanwhile, the wings seemed to have a life of their own, and finally waving in unison, those two little wings lifted the little pig into the air.

Now he felt no pressure inside. Now his energy was moving through the wings. His laughter was uncontrollable, as he really had no control over his movements, for the first time in his life. It was a joy ride he would never forget...over meadow and mountain, and then back home.

The little wings gently fluttered him down to the ground, and the two brothers, quite astounded, helped him into the house. Now it was their turn to take care of him.

As time progressed, all became accustomed to the presence of the wings in their lives, and the third little pig decided he would use his new gift to help all those living in the area. He decided to fly around like a helicopter, to be on the lookout for wolves and other dangerous animals. He was very proud.

Thereafter, before each singing and dancing session the three pigs engaged in, the third pig would proudly helicopter over the region, looking for danger. Once he gave the “all clear” signal, which was a little happy dance upon landing, all would join into great abandonment of celebration.

And they lived in the stunning, safe, solar powered, ergonomic, hand made A-frame house with the weather-wolf station, sunken bath and Zen garden, Happily Ever After. (And that part is really true.)