Snorfle Turns Blue

Snorfle Turns Blue
by
Robin Hall


Snorfle was a good pig. He was smart, curious and beautiful too. He listened to his parents like all good pigs did unless they discovered their parents were wrong, which was more often than previously suspected.

He also knew that he had his own path to travel in the world and that path led him to Cary, Jerry, Mary and Red Cherry at 1440 Highridge Rd. which was about a mile from downtown Lake Swenson and closer to Music Valley in the State of Grace than even a smart and sweet natured young pig could know, for now.

The Cherries were a fine family. They worked hard, spent lots of time together and everyone knew that they were special and loved. They knew this because they told each other in many ways everyday. Some days Red would make things in his shop for the whole family. Some days he would bring Mary a rose from the flower store or Colonel Smith’s rose bushes, with Colonel Smith’s complete approval of course.

Mary would cook nice healthy things for everyone to show her love. The twins would write stories, read them at family time and gladly did chores to show their love. Everyone hugged each other in the morning and at night and no one ever forgot to say the words that are magic if they are real: I love you. Some families forget the magic words. Make sure your family remembers and is telling the truth. I LOVE YOU, regardless. Unconditional love. Well, we can do our best in this.

Snorfle was very happy with his human family but he missed his own family sometimes. When the Cherries got the Internet, Snorfle got online too, late at night of course when the others were asleep. Typing was tricky for a young Vietnamese Potbellied Pig and a bit slow but Snorfle learned quickly. His online name was porgy123 from the musical he had seen one time on TV.

Now the Internet was interesting, but as Snorfle’s telepigathy improved he spent more time on pignet which was similar,more interesting and both free and freeing.

Young pigs from all over the world would send instant, if somewhat startling, messages to other pigs day or night. Sometimes it was unsettling to be awakened from a nice dream when Flin, Bnu, Tle or any of the others would want to talk and forget the 12 hour time difference. Part of all young pig's chores is to learn to filter out instant messages so they can get some sleep.

Anyway, Snorfle was learning about the world of pigs. There were cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and just bundles of wonderful pigs everywhere except in THE ARTIC or ANTARTIC. No pig in his or her right mind would go to these places of course. The stories about THE ARTIC and huge white snow bears were enough to scare even the oldest pig.

Most of the time Snorfle would just pop-up online, the online of pignet, though it really was telepigathy. He would say hi to his friends and go about his day. However on April first Snorfle stayed on pignet longer. There were some new pigs from Botswana telling about the rainy season and everyone was fascinated. Snorfle was getting cold in Siberia-space as all pigs did who stayed online too long. He ignored the warnings from pig school about spending too much time on pignet.

His teachers had gone into great detail about what could happen if you spent more than a few hours in Siberia space. You might just freeze because it was cold there and pigs need to be playing in the sun to be healthy. Too much time online was not healthy.

Snorfle forgot the warnings. He went online just after the Cherries left for school and work at 7:30 in the morning and by noon he had talked till he was blue in the face. By 2 PM he talked till he was blue in the shoulders and feet. By 4 he had talked till he was blue in the tail too. Snorfle was frozen solid, blue from head to tail and he couldn't’t even move.

When the Cherries got home at 4:30 they were very alarmed and rushed to their friend to see what happened. Snorfle could hear them OK he just couldn't’t wag his tail or anything. Even his eyelids were frozen. Well, Mary called Dr. Swann instantly.

“Calm down,” Dr. Swann said. “We have been waiting for your call. Snorfle’s cousin Snee told me this was likely. Er, what? Uh well. Never mind, I just knew. It happens to lots of young pigs. They get on pignet and lose their way? Well, just put Snorfle in the bathtub and fill it with warm water. He will be fine in about 2 hours.” Mary Cherry did just that but wondered what all the other stuff about Snorfle’s cousin and some pignet was.

In about an hour Snorfle’s nose was finally pink. His tail warmed up and turned beige like the rest of him and by dinner time at 6:30 Snorfle was finally back to normal. The Cherries all cheered and had a nice dinner of soy burger chili with fava beans, skim milk, salad plus lime and okra Jell-O for desert. Snorfle had pig chow, some fava beans under the table but he just didn't’t want the ice in his bowl for some reason.

That evening after the wonderful meal, the twins read The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe; Red told about the new saw he saw in Woodworker magazine; Mary played her viola and they all sang songs, then went to bed early.

Snorfle was glad to get unfrozen and he rushed to his pig nest. He tossed and turned till he got comfortable and warm then he went to sleep. Everything was white. He dreamed of snow, snow flakes, snowballs, snow bears, snow bushes, snow geese, snow leopards, snowmobiles, snow plows, snow pudding and snow shoes. Snorfle shivered.

Then he dreamed that his friend Winston told him to remember his school lesson: pignet was for information and fun but real life was where pigs belonged most of the time. With that, Snorfle finally relaxed and slept soundly and warmly the rest of the night. He had finally learned his lesson, but who was Sno?