Beth always seemed to have plenty of pets around her. As well as her beloved Peter and Mac there were the cats, especially a lovely bluey-grey Persian kitten who had been given to one of her brothers. Beth promptly adopted Mischief and spent a lot of time brushing the long soft fur to keep it free from knots. Mischief grew into a very handsome cat and presented Beth with kittens twice a year. These were always a great source of entertainment until the time came for them to be given away. There never seemed to be any trouble finding homes for them.
Another member of Beth’s family was Biddy, the hen. She would follow Beth around like a dog, and unless watched would end up inside, clucking happily through the house. Biddy always seemed ready to sit on a setting of eggs and must have spent many months of her life hatching chickens. Motherhood seemed very important to Biddy. Beth sat her one time on a setting of duck eggs, and the agitation of the poor soul, as the ducklings grew older and took to the water, was really something. Poor Biddy became almost hysterical every time her tribe wandered off near the river.
She was discovered, one time, out in Dad’s workshop, up on the bench and sitting happily on several golf balls. Beth couldn’t remember Biddy doing anything so ordinary as laying an egg.
Dad came home one day and presented Beth with two tiny little black piglets. Their mother had had too many for her to be able to feed them all, so knowing that Beth would be delighted to take care of them, he had brought them home. They were a few days old and very strong and healthy so there would be no problems looking after them. Dad made a pen for them, with a little house at one end for them to sleep in and keep warm, and Beth called them Brutus and Caesar.
They were fed on milk from the cowshed and scraps of vegetables and bread from the house, and both grew rapidly. Soon they were sleek and shiny and very cheeky. As they grew older and larger they had to be moved up to one of the pens where the other pigs were housed and that didn’t please them one bit. Every chance they got they arrived back at the house, looking for Beth. They would follow her round, squealing and grunting, and, when small, caused a lot of amusement, but as they got older they became a real nuisance.
One day they got into the garden area and when no-one came to chase them out, they set to work and ate and dug up all the vegetables they could find. Mother was furious and said that they would have to be sold.
A few days later a big truck arrived to take them off to the sale, and Beth shed a few tears to see them go. The truck had only been gone a few minutes when Beth heard squealing and ran out to see Brutus trotting back down the road. He had climbed up onto the backs of the other pigs and jumped out. However the truck driver had seen him, and came back and collected him once more.