The Pig Brother

Once upon a time, there was a child who made a mess faster than a whirlwind in a toy store. Toys and books were everywhere, jam splattered on the walls, and for some strange reason, his dirty shoes were always on the table. The child didn’t seem to care about the mess at all. In fact, it looked like he was building his own “Messy Museum.”

One day, the Tidy Angel appeared in his room, holding her nose and waving a feather duster like a sword.

"This... this is too messy!" the Angel gasped. "It’s like a giant jam explosion! You need to go outside and meet your brother while I clean this up."

The child blinked. "I don’t have a brother!" he said, dropping a sticky spoon on the floor.

The Tidy Angel raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you do! You just haven’t met him yet. Now go into the garden and wait. He’ll find you."

The child didn’t understand, but he went outside and sat in the garden, wondering what this was all about.

After a while, a squirrel scampered up, twitching its bushy tail.

"Are you my brother?" the child asked, scratching his head.

"Brother? Ha! No way!" the squirrel chattered. "Look at me! My fur is clean, my acorns are all in order, and my nest is neat! You... well, let’s just say you’re not very tidy, are you? Bye-bye!" And off the squirrel dashed, leaving the child to wait some more.

Next, a little bird hopped along, chirping happily.

"Are you my brother?" the child asked, hoping for a different answer.

The bird puffed out its chest. "Me? Your brother? Ha! Look at these feathers! They're smooth and shiny! My nest is the neatest one in the whole tree! You, on the other hand, look like you had a wrestling match with a mud puddle. So, nope! Definitely not your brother!" And the bird flew away.

The child sighed. This was getting strange.

Then, a cat walked by, looking very fancy, like it had just had a nice bath.

"Are you my brother?" the child asked, feeling a little tired of asking.

The cat gave him a long look. "Look at me. I’m super clean! I’ve been cleaning myself all morning. You? You haven’t cleaned yourself in... how long? We are not the same. Look in a mirror and you’ll see." The cat flicked its tail and strolled away.

Just when the child thought this was all a big mistake, a pig came trotting by, snorting happily.

"Hello, brother!" the pig said, smiling.

The child stared, horrified. "No! I am not your brother!" he cried.

"Oh, yes, you are!" said the pig. "Look at you! You’ve got jam on your face, dirt on your clothes, and... what’s that on your hands? We’re just alike! Come on, let’s go roll in the mud. It’s so fun! After that, you can have some of my lunch—slop! It’s yummy!"

"I don’t want your slop, and I don’t want to roll in the mud!" cried the child, getting upset.

Just then, the Tidy Angel appeared again. "I’ve cleaned your room!" she said. "Now, you have a choice: you can go with your Pig Brother and live in the mud, or you can come with me and keep things nice and tidy from now on."

The child didn’t have to think twice. "I’ll come with you!" he shouted, grabbing her hand.

The pig shrugged. "Well, more mud for me! And more slop! Yippee!" And off the pig trotted, happy as can be.

There once was a child, quite messy and wild,
With toys on the floor and books all piled.
His shoes on the table, his clothes full of stains,
Jam on his fingers, and ink on his veins.

One day, with a sparkle, the Tidy Angel flew,
"This mess cannot last, there's cleaning to do!
But you can't stay here—go out and explore,
Meet your brother outside while I tidy some more."

"A brother?" he questioned, "But I have none!"
"Go on," said the Angel, "You'll meet him, my son."
So out to the garden, the boy wandered slow,
Who might this strange brother be? He didn't know.

First came a squirrel, with a flick of his tail,
"Are you my brother?" the child did hail.
"Not I," said the squirrel, "I’m neat as can be,
My home is spotless, just look and you’ll see!"

Then a bird fluttered down with feathers so bright,
"Are you my brother?" he asked with delight.
"No way!" chirped the bird, "I’m tidy and clean,
Look at your clothes, you're far from pristine!"

A cat strolled by with a snobbish glance,
The boy asked again, taking his chance.
"My fur is well-groomed, I wash every day,
Look in the mirror—you’re dirty, I’d say!"

But then came a pig, all covered in grime,
Before the child asked, the pig said in time,
"Hello, dear brother! You look just like me!
We both love dirt, can’t you plainly see?"

"I don’t like mud!" the child shook his head,
But the pig just laughed and trotted ahead.
"Come roll in the muck, there’s food you’ll adore,
Join me, dear brother, let’s play some more!"

The boy looked down at his hands and his shoes,
Covered in dirt, he felt so confused.
Then back came the Angel, with rooms all aglow,
"Your choice now," she said, "Stay tidy or go!"

"I’ll stay with you!" the child did cry,
And the pig gave a snort, waving goodbye.
Off went the pig to his muddy domain,
While the child stayed clean—no more mess, no more stain!