Tillman the Muddy Pig

Description

MORE photos can be seen of Tillman at http://alittlecharacter.com/item.html?id=pig_muddyteeth

Character Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.75

Tillman swore he'd never do it. He'd insisted, for as far back as he could remember, that rolling in the mud was for pigs.
"But you ARE a pig." His friends reminded him. Which Tillman couldn't argue, he might have been a pig but it didn't mean he had to act like one.
When his family chowed down on corn cobs and slop, insisting it was the most delicious thing they'd ever had Tillman would roll his eyes. He much preferred sussing out the tastiest and most delicate of field greens for a salad fit for a...well...a pig. But not just any pig, a pig like Tillman with discerning tastebuds.
When the family of pigs trotted out of their comfy little shed every morning to make the rounds in the pen, heaving their great big pig bodies against the wooden fence to scratch their backs they'd call out, "Tillman, come on over. The fence is feeling mighty fine this morning!" And Tillman swore if his eyes rolled any further they'd pop right out of his head and land in the dirt at his feet. When Tillman had an itch on his back he preferred to sit and meditate.
"To outthink an itch is the greatest accomplishment of pig thinking." He'd call out, trying not squirm. His family would then display their impressive talent for eye rolling.
But they got along well and if Tillman didn't act like a pig they still enjoyed his company. Even if it meant he insisted nobody wash their muddy snouts in the water bowl, and that every one should eat slower, and try to saunter instead of trot.
Life was grand. Albeit a little frustrating at times. There were days that Tillman felt his passionate lectures about the possibility of pigs walking upright fell upon deaf, floppy ears. The other hogs turned their snouts away to hide smiles when Tillman would practice. Thrusting his front hooves into the air, wobbling for a split second on just his two back feet until finnally falling back to reality and earth. He couldn't walk on two legs...yet. Just because he couldn't now didn't mean he couldn't forever.
"After all," he'd explain to the younger piglets who watched with curiosity, Tillman's many attempts to walk upright, "if the humans can do it, surely we, the superior swine species, can as well?"
The piglets would nod their heads in vigorous agreement, ears flapping, curly tails wagging with happiness. They didn't really understand everything Tillman prattled on about but they thought he was funny. And they liked that he'd grin sheepishly at them from the cloud of dust that arose every time his hooves hit the earth.
One particularly grey chilly morning, so early that the entire shed of pigs were still asleep. Cuddled together in big pink piles of pigginess. Snoring, sides heaving, tails and feet twitching as they dreamt sweet happy pig dreams about apple trees and sweet beets. Every one was asleep but Tillman, he couldn't sleep with all that racket. Not the snoring, he'd grown accustomed to the snuffles and oinks of his shed mates, why even the ones who squealed in their sleep didn't wake him up any more. But this morning was different. It had rained, particularly hard, rattling on the roof with such force that once he'd awakened he couldn't possibly fall back asleep. Instead, he watched as the pearly morning light chased away the clouds, filling the pig pen with soft muted colors, the shades of dawn. Listened to the slowing drips of rain, until they stopped altogether.
Hearing the all clear, Tillman stepped out of the shed. Breathing deep, the air smelled clean and freshly washed. In all his life he couldn't remember it ever having rained so hard before. The pig pen was full of giant puddles, the ground was dark, saturated with rain. Tillman thought it was the perfect time to practice some upright walking before the others awakened and he had the pen to himself. He pulled himself upright, teetering on his back feet, admiring the view around him that his new height afforded him. He took a teetering, wobbly step forward, then another. A grin broke out on his shiny pink face, excitement made his legs quiver but he held strong, his record was 2 steps, could today be the day? Would he walk 3?
He did. Tillman took that 3rd step with more pride and happiness than any pig has ever felt walking a single step before. For one brief perfect moment, chest swelled with pride, head thrown back to look up at the early morning sun, rain drops shimmering and sparkling on the trees around, Tillman was the happiest pig on the planet.
And then he fell.
"Ohhhhhhh noooooo!" Tillman cried out in shock as his wobbling legs finally gave way and pitched him to one side. Tillman fell with a terrific splash, mud flew up around him, spraying in every direction like a giant brown tidal wave. Tillman wasn't hurt, but he sat in open mouth shock, he who had always, always, always avoided the mud was now covered from snout to curly tail and back again with the muddiest mud of all time.
He blinked, and carefully pulled one leg out of the muck, feeling the wet earth sucking at his feet as if resisting the movement. It tickled.
In fact it tickled so much that Tillman snorted and lifted the other leg, feeling the same tickling sensation that had him snuffling back laughter.
Taking stock of the entire situation Tillman realized something else, something so shocking he blinked his eyes several times trying to understand the strange new sensations he was experiencing. The mud, it felt good!
In fact it felt so good that Tillman flopped backwards with another terrific splash, feeling the soft cool mud against his back, snorting in heaven as droplets of wet earth rained back down on him. It was more than good, it was bliss.
Tillman realized that he'd been so busy resisting all things pig that he might have missed out on some of the funner aspects of swine-y-ness. Like rolling in a sloppy muddy heap in the middle of the pig pen after a lovely summer rain.
Sitting up again, bracing himself to keep from slipping backwards, Tillman stared with surprise at the many grinning, snouty faces watching from the door of the shed. The entire pig family had seen his muddy revelation.
Tillman shrugged his shoulders and grinned back, calling out, "O.K., I was wrong about the mud!"
The family erupted into a chorus of delighted squeals and oinks, filling the pen with the sound of happy hogs. They rushed out, slopping through the mud, sending waves of it splattering over everyone. The younger piglets calling out, "MUD FIGHT!"
And as the muddy pink pile of pigs surged forward to where Tillman sat, for the first time in his piggy life, a mud fight not only didn't sound awful, it sounded like fun.

Character Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.75

Added on Dec 02, 2009