Pigs Is Pigs

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For other uses, see Pigs Is Pigs (disambiguation).
Pigs is Pigs cover when published in 1905 by Railway Appliances Company (Chicago) without permission. Most copies were destroyed.

"Pigs Is Pigs" is a story by American writer Ellis Parker Butler. First published as a short story in American Illustrated Magazine in September 1905, "Pigs Is Pigs" went on to dozens of printings as a book and in anthologies over the next several decades.

Plot

Railway agent Mike Flannery wants to charge the livestock rate for a shipment of two

guinea
" is an indication of the pigs' national origin. He argues that they should bear the higher freight charge of 30¢ for livestock, rather than the lower 25¢ for domestic pets. In support of this, he submits that if they were "dago pigs" or "Irish pigs," there would be no question of the animals' status.

Because the customer refuses to accept delivery, Flannery is forced to feed and house what he now calls the "dago pigs" in his office. When he eventually receives instructions to accept the lower price, he discovers that the customer has moved. He is then instructed by his superiors to return the pigs to the company warehouse. By this time, the guinea pigs have reproduced exponentially in Flannery's station house. After returning all the descendants, Flannery resolves to charge the lower rate for any future livestock.

Adaptations

The story was made into movie form several times, including the

Pigs Is Pigs, directed by Friz Freleng
, is not an adaptation of the Butler story.

Inspiration of other works

The rapid reproduction of the guinea pigs and their near overrunning of a facility is mirrored by the Martian flat cats in the

tribbles to his flat cats, Gerrold claims that Heinlein wrote to him, “we both owe something to Ellis Parker Butler...and possibly to Noah.”[2]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0765319630
    . If that matter had simply been dropped after that one episode was filmed, I would have chalked it up wryly to experience. But the "nice kid" did not drop it; "tribbles" (i.e. my "flat cats") have been exploited endlessly… Well that's one that did "larn me." Today if J. Christ phoned me on some matter of business, I would simply tell him: "See my agent.
  2. ISBN 0345234022
    .

External links
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