Nathan Pig was playing in a mud puddle in the woods by the river. This was the kind of mud that Nathan Pig loved - it squished, it slurped and oozed. He rolled back and forth with the mud swishing and sliding over him as he sighed with pleasure.

 Jason Bear came to the river for his lunch and didn't pay much attention to the pig, who, to him, was disgustingly dirty. How could one roll around in the mud like that? Pigs must have had too much sun on their little heads, because they all acted funny when it came to mud puddles.

 The bear stood watching the water flow over the rocks. If a fish swam by, he would have to be quick to grab it. He watched and waited, and when a big salmon passed, he dipped his paw into the water and grabbed it.

 The fish glistened in the sunlight as it arched its back. Jason Bear opened his mouth and his jaws came down just as the fish gave one mighty thrust and jumped. Through the air the fish surged and landed in the mud puddle where it flipped and flopped around.

 Jason Bear rushed to the mud puddle and tried to get the fish without getting his paws dirty. The pig watched in amazement.

 "Oh, this is disgusting," moaned the bear. "How can you sit in that mess?"

 "It's easy! I'm a pig and pigs love mud!" said Nathan Pig, sighing with pleasure.

 "Could you flip that fish out on the bank and I'll wash it off?" asked the bear. "I can't bear to eat it covered in that slime."

 Frantically the fish thrashed in the muddy water. Nathan Pig reached and grabbed it. He was about to throw it to the bear, but he suddenly changed his mind.

 "Say you're sorry for saying my bathtub is disgusting slime," said Nathan Pig with a determined look on his face.

 "I'm not saying that! It is disgusting, and you bathing in there is double disgusting!" said the bear, twisting up his face.

advertisement

 Nathan Pig promptly took the fish and sat on it. Jason Bear's eyes grew big in surprise.

 "What did you do that for?" asked the bear.

 "I want you to say you are sorry!" demanded the pig.

 "All right, I'm sorry. Give me that fish!" demanded the bear.

 Nathan Pig tossed the fish and it landed smack in the middle of the bear's chest. Wet oozy mud splattered Jason Bear's clean fur, and goop dripped on his toes. The fish fell on the ground. The bear looked at the mud, and then at the pig.

 "Come out of there, pig!" demanded Nathan Bear. "Look at what you did to my clean fur."

 Nathan Pig inched himself out of the goop and stood before the bear. Jason Bear thought of shoving the pig into the water, but he couldn't do it. He would have to actually touch that messy pig.

 "Why don't you clean up your act?" asked Nathan Bear.

 "Why don't you get down-to-earth more? A little mud never hurt anyone," said the pig. "You need to loosen up!"

 "I'll show you how loose I am," said the bear. He chased the pig around the puddle.

 As if in slow motion, Jason Bear's foot hit a slippery patch and the bear fell into the mud with a big plop. The muddy water covered him, and the only thing not covered was his eyes. Silence filled the air.

 "Is that loose enough for you?" asked the bear, starting to laugh.

 "Perfect," said the pig, and he joined him in a game of splash.

 Winner: Dillion Nixon of Bridgewater received a prize in the mail for sending in the answer.

 Question about the story: What did the pig do with the fish to get the bear to say he was sorry?

 Send answers to Storytime, c/o Verna Dunlop, RR#1 Moser River, NS B0J 2K0 or e-mail the answer to the question to vernadunlop@yahoo.com. Prizes will be sent to those sending in the answer.

posted on 11/23/10