29. Holly Pandora's Big Day Out

Holly Pandora knew she was a special pig. She was a kunekune pig. Her skin was chocolate and ginger. Her eyes sparkled like black pearls.

Holly Pandora was Rory and Mila's pet. That made her feel even more special. She, Rory and Mila had been friends for a long long time. Almost as long as Holly Pandora could remember.

When Holly Pandora was just a baby piglet Rory and Mila went to the farm with Mr and Mrs Russell. They went to find a piglet as a Christmas present.

“Pick me, pick me,” each piglet squealed.

All of the piglets wanted to be Rory and Mila's pet. None of them wanted to grow up to be someone’s Christmas dinner. Or to be roasted on a spit at a wedding. Or turned into sausages.

Holly Pandora's brothers and sisters rushed over to meet them. But Holly Pandora hung back. She was very shy.

“Now, don’t take forever choosing, you two,” said Mrs Russell.

“Not like in the shoe shop,” added Mr Russell.

Sometimes Rory and Mila took a long time to decide what they wanted. This time they made up their minds right away.

“Oh, that one, that one,” they cried excitedly, pointing at Holly Pandora. “That one over there. She’s so cute."

Holly Pandora, Rory and Mila became the best of friends. They played in the paddock with Kurt the collie dog, Snowy the goat, and Gabby and Minty, the cats. Mum’s horse, Honey, thought it very childish and walked off to talk to her friends Oscar and Lucinda in the paddock next door.

Holly Pandora lived under the trees at the edge of the paddock. She had a little house of her own with straw on the floor and a fenced off area in which to run around.

Before and after school each day Rory and Mila brought her some vegetable scraps from the kitchen to eat. And some pignuts. Holly Pandora sat up on her back feet to be fed.

“Oh, that’s so cute,” Rory and Mila would say, tickling Holly Pandora under the chin.

Holly Pandora loved Rory.

Holly Pandora loved Mila.

And Holly Pandora loved pignuts.

At weekends Holly Pandora, Rory and Mila played on the back lawn or under the trees. Kurt would play too. Then they would have a picnic lunch on the grass. Once Mila fed Holly Pandora one of Kurt’s dog biscuits. Kurt was not amused. But Holly Pandora preferred pignuts.

Holly Pandora often played with Kurt by herself. Kurt would look out for her and see that she did not get into mischief. Especially that she did not go onto Mrs Russell’s vegetable garden where there were yellow and blue flowers and fresh green vegetable plants that looked good to eat.

Sometimes Rory and Mila put one of Kurt’s collars on Holly Pandora. They attached Kurt’s lead to the collar and took Holly Pandora for a walk.

They walked along by the colourful flower beds.

They walked round the rose garden.

They walked on the crunchy shell paths of Mrs Russell’s vegetable garden, surrounded by marigolds, sunflowers, lavender, potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, beans, radishes, chives, parsley, tomatoes, and red, green, orange and yellow peppers.

They walked past the shed where the pignuts were stored.

They walked through the iron gate into the courtyard at the side of the house and Holly Pandora had a drink from the fountain there.

Once they even went through the back door into the kitchen, but Holly Pandora’s trotters slipped on the tiled floor and Mrs Russell shooed them out.

Holly Pandora, Rory and Mila had a secret place of their own where they would hide away and play. It was amongst the giant sunflowers.

The sunflowers were taller than Holly Pandora.

They were taller than Rory.

They were taller than Mila.

They were even taller than Mr Russell.

No one else knew of their secret place. Not even Kurt.

On Friday before Anniversary Weekend Rory and Mila came to tell Holly Pandora that they were going away for a few days. To a bach by the seaside.

Mr and Mrs Russell were going.

And Kurt was going.

Rory and Mila wanted Holly Pandora to go too but Mr Russell said that was not a good idea. Holly Pandora had to stay behind.

Holly Pandora was very sad as she watched them loading up the car.

Rory and Mila came to say goodbye. They tickled Holly Pandora under the chin. They scratched Holly Pandora behind the ears. They kissed Holly Pandora on the nose.

But Holly Pandora was still sad.

“It won’t be long, Holly Pandora,” said Rory.

"It won't be long, Holly Pandora," said Mila.

The next morning a strange boy came by to change Holly Pandora’s water and fill her bowl with pignuts. He came again in the evening. He came again the morning after that. But he did not talk to Holly Pandora. He took no notice when she sat up to be fed. He didn’t tickle her under the chin. He didn’t scratch her behind the ears. He didn’t kiss her on the nose. He treated her as if she was just a pig and not special at all.

Holly Pandora was bored and lonely. This was worse than school days when Kurt was there to jostle and play with. Honey ignored her completely. And Snowy stayed on the other side of the paddock with his head through the fence eating the neighbour’s grass and shrubs.

Holly Pandora decided to escape. She snuffled round the fence of her enclosure leaning against the wire until she found a loose part. Then she pushed the wire up with her nose and wedged her head underneath. She pushed and she pushed and she pushed.

It had rained in the night and the ground was soft. Soon Holly Pandora had made a gap beneath the fence wire large enough to slide through. She was free.

Holly Pandora ran past the colourful flower beds. She ran past the rose garden. She headed straight to Mrs Russell’s vegetable garden where there were so many things that looked good to eat.

Holly Pandora tried them all. She ate marigolds. She ate corn cobs. She ate beans. She ate red, green, orange and yellow peppers. She ate parsley. She ate tomatoes. She ate chives. She dug up radishes and carrots and potatoes and ate them too. Only the lavender and giant sunflowers were left untouched.

Then, covered in mud, Holly Pandora headed for the shed where the pignuts were kept. She pushed the sliding door across with her nose. The pignuts were in a large chest with a heavy lid. But Holly Pandora loved pignuts. She pushed the lid up and climbed into the box. She was already very full. But there was always room for pignuts. Lots of pignuts.

When she could eat no more Holly Pandora climbed out of the pignut box. She was thirsty and wanted a drink. The gate to the courtyard was open so Holly Pandora went to find the fountain. She walked very slowly. She was so full. She took a drink from the fountain.

It was a hot airless day. Gabby and Minty were lying in the shade fast asleep.

Holly Pandora climbed into the fountain and lay in the nice cold water, spilling it over the edge. Holly Pandora lay in the fountain for a long long time. She was so full she could hardly move.

Holly Pandora knew she was in big big trouble. She knew she should not have eaten the tasty plants in Mrs Russell’s vegetable garden. She knew she should not have dug up the vegetables. She knew she should not have gorged herself on the pignuts in the shed. She knew she should not be lying in the cool water of the fountain. But Holly Pandora was too full and too happy and too sleepy to care.

Later that afternoon Mr and Mrs Russell, Rory, Mila and Kurt returned from their weekend away. Rory and Mila jumped out of the car and rushed over to see Holly Pandora.

“Holly Pandora’s gone!” they screamed.

Mr. Russell went into the courtyard.

“She’s been in my fountain,” shouted Mr Russell. “The water’s all muddy and there’s shell everywhere. What a bad pig."

“And she’s been in my vegetable garden,” yelled Mrs Russell, “and wrecked it. Just wait until I get my hands on that naughty pig!”

“She’s been in the shed too,” Mr Russell called out. “You should see the mess. I’ll make bacon of that pig when I get my hands on her!”

There was pandemonium. Rory and Mila were in tears. Mr and Mrs Russell were fuming. Honey and Snowy came charging across the paddock to see what all the fuss was about. Kurt was rushing around like a mad thing trying to round everyone up. Even Gabby and Minty woke up and took notice of the kerfuffle before slipping away quietly to find a more peaceful place to sleep.

Oh dear, Holly Pandora was in big big trouble. And no one could find her.

Now they were all looking for Holly Pandora.

Then Rory and Mila realised where Holly Pandora would be. Holly Pandora would be in their secret place. And she was.

Holly Pandora had staggered out of the fountain and headed unsteadily home. But she only got as far as the giant sunflowers. Then she lay down and fell fast asleep.

Rory and Mila crouched down next to Holly Pandora and tried to pick her up. But Holly Pandora was full of pignuts and all the other good things she had found to eat. She was too heavy for Rory and Mila to carry. And she was still sound asleep.

Rory and Mila fetched the wheelbarrow. They lifted Holly Pandora, put her in the wheelbarrow and wheeled her home.

Rory and Mila laid Holly Pandora down on the straw in her little house. Rory lay down beside her. Mila lay down beside her too. Mr and Mrs Russell found them there. They were still angry with Holly Pandora. Then they looked at Holly Pandora, Rory and Mila curled up together in the little house.

“Oh, how cute they look,” said Mrs Russell. “I suppose I can replant my vegetable garden.”

“Yes, I guess they are pretty cute,” said Mr Russell. “I suppose I can clean out my fountain. And I had better fix that fence.”

Rory tickled Holly Pandora under the chin. Mila scratched her behind the ears. They both kissed her on the nose.

Holly Pandora opened her eyes.

“You’re so cute,” said Rory.

"You're so cute," said Mila.

Holly Pandora smiled at Rory and she smiled at Mila.

Then Holly Pandora went back to sleep.

She dreamed about her big day out.

And she dreamed about pignuts.

Lots of pignuts.