One day a little pig named Butter awoke to discover he lost his oink. He had been a great oinker since he was born. But this bright sunny day, when he awoke, he burped and tried to oink, but it came out KREVIT!
He jumped when he tried again—WISKIT. And again—HARPUM. And again—EREP.
His mother, brothers and sisters did not hear these weird noises. They were asleep when the first non-oink flew out of his mouth. The little pig ran around the corner of the sty and tried again and again, but no oink at all. DERTEE. SLIIPS, FARNY, all strange and scary sounds.
Butter began to cry. What could he do? What would his family say? What would his barnyard friends think!
He slunk away from the sty and went behind the barn. He sat for a while, not even trying to oink. He did not know why he lost his oink and whenever he tried, something like BEZSAT or HOKEY whizzed out. Trying just made him feel worse.
Then Butter saw Clara Cow. She had treated him kindly, so he ran up and told her his problem. But he always talked in oinks, so when he shared his trouble. it came out KOOTY, MARSOO, CLINKA. Clara just mooed and ran away.
Butter did not know what to do. No one could understand him. No one could help him.
He ran and hid behind the big tree so no one would see him and he could think.
Finally he fell asleep. When he woke up, he started to talk, and the first thing that came out of his mouth was Oink! But then, VERBAR, SLOSH, MANTA. No more oinks.
Then he had an idea. He was a good pig in school, so he knew how to write well in oink. He would write a note to his Mom and Dad, and they would help him.
He waited until after lunch when Mom and Dad Pig went for a walk. He caught up with them by the big mud puddle near the slop trough. Furiously, he scribbled in the mud.
Mom Pig: “What are you saying? You lost your oink? Pigs don’t lose their oink!”
WEOUT, SCURZE, VELEE, FOSKO, PRIBBEE, UMUM came flowing out. The little pig began to cry again.
Dad Pig nuzzled Butter. “No worries. Run along and play now. We are sure this will go away and you will be able to oink again.”
Butter looked at them sadly. They didn’t understand. He ran away to hide. He didn’t know what to do.
He went behind the big tree again and thought and thought. Why did this happen to me? No other pigs lost their oink. I don’t want to be different. He was very sad.
Just then, out of the farm house came Mike, the farmer’s youngest son. He flew a bright, red balloon. “He is having such great fun,” Butter thought. “I will never have fun again!”
Butter looked at the windmill, the giant arms rotating in the stiff wind. The weather vane, shaped like a rooster, twirled round and round. A small airplane buzzed overhead.
Butter looked at everything in motion. An idea came like magic. Maybe I am special, he thought. Maybe I lost my oink for a reason? I think I’m supposed to fly! But pigs don’t fly!”
Butter could not let the idea go.
“How could I fly?” he thought. He jumped up. He knew he did not have wings. What did he have?
Then he wiggled his tail. All pigs like to wiggle their tails. It is a fun thing to do.
This time he wiggled his tail really hard, as hard as he could. He began to feel a twitch in his body. His body began to feel lighter and lighter. The more he wiggled, the lighter he felt.
Suddenly, his feet began to dance. He could not stop them. The more he wiggled, the harder he danced and, all at once, he lifted into the air.
The ground was far down and the sky far up. A shiver of fear ran through him.
He soared over the whole barnyard. All the animals looked up and began to make their noises—the ducks, rooster, dogs, cats, horses, goats, cows—and all the other pigs including Mom and Dad. Mike and his parents began to yell and cheer.
Butter was so happy. He looked down and flashed his biggest smile. He had done it. He had figured it out himself! Now the world knew that at least one pig could fly.
He opened his mouth wide and shouted for joy: OINK! OINK! OINK!
Originally Published in Twist and Twain