Henrietta and Georgie

On the Johnson Family Farm there lived a pig. The pig was named Georgie. He was a friendly pig who loved everyone. Who Georgie loved the most was a horse named Henrietta. Everybody on the little country farm was in love with Henrietta, she was the most beautiful animal in the whole village. For Georgie it was different, he loved her inside and out. He even loved her faults which none of the others could see.

One day Henrietta asked Georgie if he wanted to take a walk with her down to a pond on the other side of the farm. Georgie knew it was dangerous because no animals on the farm had ever ventured that far before but he was so wanted to impress Henrietta with his bravery that he said yes.

So together they pushed open the wooden gate and snuck on down the hill in search of the infamous pond they had heard so much about.

"I heard Jimmy the chicken saw it once but then he disappeared", said Georgie, fearfully.

"That's just an old wive's tale", said Henrietta.

Georgie was slow and Henrietta had to frequently slow down and wait for him to catch up. He had little legs and couldn't walk as fast as her. She didn't mind though, she loved Georgie and would do anything for him. She wished he knew how special he was, that's why she asked him out to the pond in the first place, to tell him how she felt away from the others. On the way to the pond Georige told her jokes and made her laugh and laugh. He was a funny little pig with a charming way of telling stories.

"Hey, Henrietta", Georgie said, "Why does a rooster watch TV?"
"I don't know, little Georgie. Why?"
"For hentertainment!"
Henrietta laughed, "oh that's a good one, Georgie".

After what felt like all afternoon Henrietta and Georgie arrived at the pond they had heard so much about.

"Oh, wow! It's beautiful", said Henrietta.
"Ooh. Yes. It is. Quite beautiful", replied Georgie.

They walked closer and closer to it until they were right up on the shore, above the surface of the water. Georgie looked down in the muddy water and noticed a little pink creature looking back up at him.

"Henrietta!", he cried, "Come look! Look at that strange little animal in the water!"

Henrietta walked over and stood above Georgie.

"Oh, silly Georgie. That's not a strange little animal in the water! That's you! It's your reflection"

"What's a reflection?", he asked.

"It's like a mirror, Georgie. It shows you what you look like"

"That....that's me?", he asked.

"Yes, Georgie. And that's me. Above you. Don't you see?"

Georgie looked intently at the water and sighed then he said "yes, I see" before he began to cry.

"Oh, dear. Georgie! Why are you crying? It's such a beautiful day. And this pond is lovely. Aren't you having fun?", asked Henrietta.

"I didn't know I looked like that", he cried.

"So...what's the matter?"

"I'm so ugly"

Henrietta laughed and said, "You are not ugly, Georgie. You are a pig. That's how pigs look".

Georgie yelled out, "Then I don't want to be a pig!".

Henrietta could tell that Georige was upset.

"Georgie. I think you are a beautiful little pig and I love you".
"Ha. Ha", cried Georgie, "very funny, Henrietta. Haven't you done enough? You don't have to humiliate me!"
"Georgie! I'm being serious. I think you are a wonderful, charming creature and I love you".

Georgie began to walked into the water, slowly, staring at his reflection the whole time.

"Georgie?", Henrietta cried.
"What?"
"Is everything ok?"
"I'm thinking"
"Ok, Georgie. You think".

Just then in the distance a loud gunshot went off, a rifle. Henrietta screamed.

"Georgie! That must be Farmer Johnson! We must go, Georgie! We will be in such trouble!"
"You go on back, Henrietta. I have some thinking to do."

Henrietta saw the elderly man approaching through the trees. The man ran at Henrietta yelling "what in the hell you doing down here, horse? Get the hell back up to the stable!" and he chased her up the hill. Henrietta looked back at Georgie and yelled "Come Georgie! Come back!".

Georgie was lost in thought, staring into the shiny water.

"She can never love me", he thought to himself. Then he thought that maybe if he could walk into the water far enough his..."reflection", as Henrietta called it, would disappear. So Georgie took a deep breath and kept walking deeper and deeper into the water until he could no longer see his reflection.