Shorty

By Lois Torrance

Shorty is the runt of his litter of seven, and Shortys mother knows right away that something is wrong with her smallest piglet. He is green all over, except for his red tail, ears, and feet. One leg is shorter than the other three, so he walks with a limp. His eyes are not centered, and his vision and hearing are poor. Shorty spends a lot of time in the veterinarians office, and his mother, Ebbie, is worried about him because all the animals in the barnyard make fun of him. Ebbie takes extra time and care with Shorty because he does not have confidence in himself and is afraid of everything. By accident, Shorty ends up on the auction house truck with older hogs who are destined to be sold, when the truck turns over in the rain, Shorty goes on the adventure of a lifetime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496962959

Lois Torrance

I was born in Opelika, Alabama, and moved to Winter Garden, Florida, in the midfifties. My family arrived in western New York in 1958. We lived in the small town of Kendall for two years and moved to Hamlin in 1963. I attended Kendall Central School from 1958 to 1963. My last year of high school was spent at John Marshall High School in Rochester, where I graduated on June 19, 1964. I attended Monroe Community College and graduated with a degree in nursing in 1990. In 2012, I graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College with an advanced degree in nursing. My writing began in 1968 with short stories to amuse myself and seven brothers and sisters. Our father and mother were great storytellers. I would love to share these childhood stories with others, including our grandchildren. I work full time as a nurse and run a women’s group. I like to cook, and I collect green frogs, small turtles, and angels.

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© 2015 LOIS TORRANCE. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/19/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6296-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6293-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6295-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015900177

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Statement of Purpose

Location

Shorty

Shorty Learns to Swim

The End of Summer

Welcome to New Orleans

Shorty Arrives in Las Vegas

Shorty Goes to the Casino

About The Book

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The purpose of this story is to share with readers the childhood of Shorty, a piglet who is different but who deals with his disability and his life in the best way he can. He encounters multiple challenges but develops the ability to rise above his circumstances.

Shorty is born last in a litter of seven. He has three brothers, Kloppity Klop, Jaboxx, and Tint, and three sisters, Shobbie, Cass, and Yelta. They all lived on a farm in the small town of Hamlin, New York. The owner of this farm, Mr. Nester, raised pigs and cows and had a barnyard full of birds, including chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. He had a wife, three sons, and three daughters, and they had many hired hands to help tend the animals and work the vegetable farm.

Shorty was born green, with a red tail, red feet, and a red nose; his eyes were crossed and unequal in size. The right eye sat lower on his face than the left eye did. He had four legs; however, the right front leg was about two inches shorter than the left front leg, so he walked with a limp. When he walked he automatically went around in a circle, thinking he was walking straight. Many times he fell down because of his shorter leg and had difficulty getting up, especially if the ground was wet.

Shorty and his mother, Ebbie, made many trips to the veterinarian to help Shorty with his disabilities. She wanted to know what was wrong with him. In addition to his physical disabilities, he had a habit of stuttering and was afraid of everything. Shorty was smaller than his siblings, and he was unable to do the things his siblings did; they laughed at him most of the time. His mother wanted the best for all her piglets, but most of all she wanted Shorty to be like his siblings. The veterinarian often reminded Ebbie that Shorty had already had many medical tests.

Ebbie, I can’t promise you that Shorty will change, the veterinarian said one day. The best we can hope for is to love and care for him, continue to do studies, and hope for the best. We’ve never seen anything like this, and we must continue to monitor and study him as he grows and develops. Our goal is to keep him as healthy as possible.

I have major concerns, she told the veterinarian. Shorty could easily be taken advantage of by the big guys on the farm because he’s different. It will be important for him to be healthy and happy, attend school, develop confidence, and believe in himself.

That day, Shorty’s examination included X-rays of his spine. The images showed some kind of growth. The vet said that something was growing there, and it would be important for Shorty to keep all his appointments over the next few months.

The purpose is to show how Shorty grows, develops, and meets challenges as the family veterinarian monitors his disabilities.

LOCATION

Shorty and his family live in western New York, in a small town named Hamlin. It is located in the heart of farm country, with small towns along one of the five Great Lakes. Hamlin is about ten miles from the lake, where the water is as