side. One only needed to look at the panicking sow and her frail piglets to remember that all living creatures are born helpless, out of their mother’s fear and pain.
Lily kept her distance and watched the vet do her work.
Jack began by scrubbing her hands in the basin of hot water Ed had provided. She nodded toward the sow. “Now, Ed, this un’s named Minnie, right?”
He nodded.
“I like how you name all your livestock, Ed,” she said, climbing into the pen. “It makes it easier when I’ve got somethin’ to call ’em.” She leaned down so the pig could see her. “Now, Minnie. You take it easy, ole girl. You’re gonna be just fine.” She looked up at Ed. “Hey, Ed, you got any little treats you could hand-feed this girl? Food’s better than anesthesia to a pig.”
Ed disappeared and returned shortly with a bowl of sliced apples.
“That oughta do the trick,” Jack said. “Ed, you hold her steady for me. Lily, why don’t you come over here and feed Minnie some apple? If you’re gonna draw her, you might as well get acquainted with her.”
Lily approached the pen reluctantly. “Uh, what if she bites me?”
Jack laughed. “I can’t believe you’ve got that big monster of a dog at your house, and you’re scared of a pig biting you. Just put the apple in your palm and hold your hand flat. That way she won’t be able to get a hold of your hide.”
My hide? Lily thought, but she did as she was told. Minnie slurped the apple slice off her hand gratefully.
While Lily concentrated on the sow’s mouth, Jack squatted down at its opposite end and rolled up the sleeves of her coveralls. “Keep those apple slices coming, Lily. I’m about to do somethin’ the ole girl’s not gonna appreciate a bit.”
Lily dutifully served up the apple, glad that she was dealing with the preferable end of the pig.
“No wonder that piglet’s stuck, Ed. It’s trying to back out of her.”
“It still alive?” Ed asked.
“Yup,” Jack muttered. “Won’t be for long, though, if we don’t get it out.”
Lily doled out more apple while Jack rummaged around in the pig’s nether regions. “Damn,” Jack said. “She’s tight in there. Being scared’s caused her to seize up, I reckon.” Jack moved around in an attempt to get a better angle. “Damn it, Ed, would you believe my hand’s too big to get a grip on the little fella?” She groped around a few more seconds, then said, “Hey, Lily, would you come here a minute?”
“What for?”
“I want you to wash your hands, then see if you can get a grip on this piglet.”
Lily shuddered. Knowledge of animals’ insides was definitely not required in order to draw them for a picture book. “I was having a hard enough time just feeding her this apple.”
“It’s either you try to do it or I kill this piglet so the others can get out.”
