The Pig With The Runaway Tail

Parinita Shetty

Pongal the pig loves sleeping. Sometimes
she sleeps all day!
No wonder her tail gets bored easily.
One day, when Pongal wakes up from her
afternoon nap, her tail is nowhere to be found.
It has gone on an adventure without her!

The pig feels silly without a tail. So, she decides to go look for it.

SCRRRUNCH! “This forest
is much too untidy!”
Pongal says.
EEEK! She trips over a log.
DHADAAAM!
She falls into
a bush.

“Has anybody seen my tail?” Pongal asks.
“Why don’t you try a mushroom tail instead?” Langur replies.
“HUMPH!” Pongal says. “But I want my own tail back!”
She goes to look for it somewhere else.

OOOOF! “This city is much too noisy!” Pongal says.
BEEP-BEEP! She dodges a zigzagging auto ricksha.
DRRING-DRRING! She tries to crawl under a bicycle.

“Has anybody seen my tail?” Pongal asks.
“Why don’t you try a balloon tail instead?” Crow replies.
“GAAAH!” Pongal says. “But I want my own tail back!” She goes to look for it somewhere else.

GRRRUMPH! “This cave
is much too dark!” Pongal says.
CLICK-CLACK! She carefully
steps forward on the stone floor.
KHADAAAK! She tumbles into
a pile of rocks .
“Has anybody seen my tail?” Pongal asks.

“Why don’t you try a stalactite tail instead?” Bat replies.
“UFFFF!” Pongal says. “But I want my own tail back!” She goes to look for it somewhere else.

SPLISH-SPLOSH! “It’s much too wet under
the ocean!” Pongal says.
DHUM-DHUM! Some colourful fish want to dance with Pongal.

WHOOSH! She hides behind some coral.
“Has anybody seen my tail?” Pongal asks.
“Why don’t you try a seaweed tail instead?” Turtle replies.
“UGGGGH!” Pongal says.
“But I want my own tail
back!” She goes to look
for it somewhere else.

PLONK! “This desert is much too hot!” Pongal says.
FOOOSSH! She doesn’t realise she is
sitting at the edge of a dune.
WHUMP! She rolls all the way down
to the bottom.
“Has anybody
seen my tail?”
Pongal asks.

“Why don’t you try a cactus tail instead?” Camel replies.
“AAAOOON!” Pongal squeals.
“But I want my own tail back!” She goes to look for it somewhere else.

BRRRRRR! “The top of a mountain is much too cold!” Pongal says.
AYIEEEE! The rest of the world is
a long way below.
THUMMMP-THUMMMP! She
steps back before she feels
too dizzy.

“Has anybody seen my tail?” Pongal asks.
“Why don’t you try a sock tail instead?” Yak replies.
Pongal stares at her newest tail.

“This is very pretty,” Pongal says. She remembers all the other tails she tried on.
HARRRUMPH! “I’m certainly not going to
wear a cactus ever again!”
But having so many different tails is actually quite fun. Everybody else has the same one forever, she realises.
Pongal comes to a decision. The tail can travel the world and have its adventures. The pig will stay back home and have her own.