Plucky Peels Potatoes

Plucky thought that he might not be doing

all the pig work that he could be doing.

Every day he went to the park and picked up trash...

wearing his official Park Department vest.

When he found leftovers, he ate them.

This kept him from being hungry all the time.

However, he wasn't as big as he should be for his age,

and he wasn't as fat as a pig is supposed to be.

Sometimes someone would say to him, "You sure aren't fat, for a pig."

Then he realized that he wasn't making

the right amount of pig progress.

Once in a while Stephen remembered to feed him, and Plucky ate

whatever was available.

He wasn't getting big, though, and he wasn't fat.

He passed a little restaurant every day on his way to the park.

One day as Plucky went by, the restaurant owner

was yelling and firing his kitchen helper.

The man noticed Plucky and yelled, "I bet that pig

could peel potatoes better than you do. At least he's a worker.

I see him sometimes cleaning up the park."

Hearing the word 'potatoes', Plucky came running.

The man laughed and asked, "What about it, pig?

Want to be my new kitchen helper?"

He held the door open, and Plucky scampered in ahead of him.

That's how Plucky took on a second job.

Plucky peeled potatoes, took out the garbage, and tidied up.

The restaurant owner was happy because Plucky was dependable.

Plucky was paid with all the scraps that he wanted to eat.

For the first time in his life, he got all the food he needed and more.

He was very happy.

April 12, 1999