One day, Bob,
who lived on a
farm, was
shopping with
his mother at
the street
market of the
nearest town. He
saw a stand with
some piglets for
sale, and got
enchanted with
one of them, the
smallest of the
bunch.
 |
- Look, Mom, how
cute! Can I have
it? - he asked,
already holding
it in his arms.
The mother
looked at it.
The animal was
very white,
clean and looked
at her son with
wide eyes as if
asking, "Take me
away! I want to
be yours. "
|
|
The woman looked
at the seller,
then the child
and considered: |
- Bob, dear, we
already have
pigs on our
farm!
- But I liked
this one, Mom.
And he seems to
like me too.
In fact, the pig
was looking at
Bob then placed
its little head
on his chest,
and even closed
its little eyes,
as if it were
going to sleep.
- Please, Mom!
Please!...
Convinced, the
mother looked at
the seller and
asked the price
of the piglet.
The owner said a
significant sum
which she found
too much. Then,
the seller said:
- Maybe you will
not mind that it
has a small
defect on the
back hoof, which
is barely
noticeable. I
will sell it for
half the price.
- OK. We will
take him - the
mother said
looking at her
son.
- You see, my
friend piglet,
we will play
together. I'll
call you Joey -
Bob said,
pressing the pig
even closer to
his heart.
Happily, Bob
returned to
their farm with
his new friend.
When they
arrived, his
mother, out of
habit, told him
to put the pig
with the others
in the sty.
- No, Mom! He is
so white, so
clean, he will
get dirty like
the others who
spend all day in
the mud... -
said the boy as
he started to
cry.
- But a pig
belongs in a
sty, don't you
know? - replied
the mother.
When his father
returned home
from working the
fields, he found
the child
crying, clinging
to his pig.
- What a
beautiful
piglet, son! But
why are you
crying? Did
something
happen?
- Dad, Mom wants
me to put him in
the sty with the
other pigs. But
I do not want
Joey to get
dirty! He is so
beautiful and
clean! -
explained the
boy, sobbing.
The father
hugged his son,
put him in his
lap, and said:
- You're right,
Bob. Did you
know that pigs
do not like
filth? They
revolve in the
mud to clean
themselves, but
as they only
find mud, they
get dirty. In
fact, they like
to be clean!
- Is it true,
Dad? That's
great! So, may I
take him to my
room and bathe
him?
- Yes, you can,
son. He will
love it! In
fact, it seems
that he likes
you very much.
All excited, Bob
bathed his new
friend, then got
two bowls: one
for food and one
for water. He
found a ribbon
and tied it
around his neck.
- Isn't he
beautiful? - he
asked his
parents.
- Very beautiful!
- they replied.
But Bob in the
following days
became
thoughtful
whenever he went
past the sty
with Joey in his
arms while the
other pigs were
in the mud,
staring at them
without
understanding.
Returning home,
he waited for
his father to
arrive and, at
lunch, after the
prayer, he asked:
|
- Dad, if pigs
do not like
filth, why do
you leave them
in a pigsty?
The father
thought about it
for a moment,
looked at his
wife, and then
said:
- Because it's
easier, son.
They are already
used to the
pigsty and also
because to
change it I
would have to
find another
place for them,
you
|
 |
|
know? |
|
- So let's do
it, Dad! They'll
be much happier!
- But it is very
expensive, Bob.
I would have to
build other
facilities, with
taps, etc. All
of this costs
money, son.
- What if I did
not want a
present for my
birthday, or
Christmas, or
Children's Day.
Would it be
enough to do
this?
The father
exchanged
another look
with his wife
and said:
- It would help
a lot, son. You
would already be
collaborating
enough!
- So, Dad, we
will improve
their lives. Are
they not beings
like us? The
other day, in
the study of the
Gospel at home,
we read that
animals are our
lower brothers,
but they are in
the process of
evolution, isn't
it? They like
cleanliness and
are in the dirt,
imagine if that
happened to us?
It would be
horrible!
Besides, I can
no longer eat
meat, thinking
of them!...
His father
nodded, looked
at his wife,
then to his son
and said:
- Bob, you are
right. Today,
you helped us to
understand the
lessons of
Jesus. If we
know that God,
our Father,
created all
beings to
evolve, one day
this pig will
also be like us.
We will help him
now, treating
him as we would
like to be
treated if we
were in his
place. Right?
- Right, Dad!
Thank you.
- So, as of
today we will
not eat meat in
this house
anymore. Thank
you, Jesus, for
opening our eyes
teaching us how
to proceed in
life.
And that day
they had lunch
certain that Bob
had them helped
them to
understand
better how to
conduct
themselves with
respect for all
of God's
creation.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
12/01/2015.)
