The Farmer And The Pig – A Medicine Story

During our last Teacher Training session a couple of days ago, Kay spoke about “Medicine Stories” and Victoria and I thought about starting the new year sharing such a story from Kay’s book “Sacred Link” with you.

The story is called, ‘The Farmer And The Pig” and you can read it or listen to Victoria read it using the audio controls below.

Here it goes, enjoy.

“There was this farmer man. He was one who lived all alone. He was young and handsome but none of the women would have him because he was always angry and cruel. So, he lived all alone. His cabin was old and falling apart. And out behind the empty barn he threw all his garbage. He had some animals once but they all ran away because he was so unkind to them. Sometimes in his loneliness he had nightmares.

“One day he is throwing garbage into the heap. And he sees this wiggling in the pile. He stops and looks. In the garbage comes these scuffling sounds and grunting.

“‘Come out from there!’ he yells. But this intruder just keeps on digging around under all this mess.

“‘Come out I tell you!’ And he grabs a stick and stabs hard into the pile.

“There is a huge squeal and out comes charging a really big ugly sow. He darts aside and hits at her with the stick. He is very repulsed. She is flabby and covered with all kinds of filth. The smell that comes from her makes him gag, she is that awful. He yells at her. She stops charging and looks at him with her big brown eyes. There was something strange about her stare. It startles him. He drops the stick and runs into his cabin and the sow runs into the woods.

“That night the farmer sleeps very restless. He tosses and tosses. He dreams that a beautiful woman comes to him and stands at his doorway. She wears a gown like moonlight. And sings to him. Calling him to come to her bed, that her heart he has stolen forever.

“The farmer wakes up with a start. He looks around and runs to the door. But no one is there. It is just another dream. He stomps around and goes back to sleep.

“The next day he is at the garbage pile again. He gets furious. That old sow is back digging around. He runs to the barn and gets a pitch fork and attacks her and screams at her, ‘Get away! Get out of here! You are disgusting! I hate you! Don’t ever come back again. You are not welcome here!’

“At first she won’t come out from under the garbage. She shuffles around making foul noises. He pokes through the pile at her and yells obscenities. Finally she tosses her head and runs for the woods. When she reaches the trees she stops and turns to look at him. Again the farmer is scared by her eyes. He screams and throws the pitch fork at her. She steps to the side and it misses. But she does not leave just yet. She just stares at the farmer until he runs back into the safety of his cabin and bolts the door behind him.

“Weeks go by. The farmer sleeps poorly. His nightmares return. Then he dreams of the beautiful woman again. He sits up in his bed and she is inside the cabin. The door is open behind her. The Moon shines in her hair and outlines the shape of her body. Her gown blows in the midnight wind. She sings songs of love and desire holding out her hands to him. She is everything. His heart and body long for her. And he starts to get up from his bed to go to her when a huge crash shakes him awake. He looks around. No one is there but the wind banging the door open and shut.

“He is very surprised. The feeling of the woman there was so clear and strong. How could it be only a dream? He believes she must be real somehow. He is deeply in love. His heart cries out in pain for the loss of her. He feels he would do anything, anything, to see her just once again.

“The time passes and he lives his life day by day. Always she is on his mind. He does not know what to do. One day he is taking care of his chores and goes to the back of the barn. “The sow is there again. He thought he had gotten rid of her. But she is there groveling and rolling in the muck. He is so disgusted by her. ‘You are wretched, you ugly sow. Go away and never come back here. I don’t want you. I can’t stand to see you.’ And he picks up rocks and hits her with them until she flees to the woods. But just inside she stops as before to look at him. And this time she would not leave. She stays behind the trees where he can not hit her and watches him the rest of the day. Her eyes trouble him even more. There is something not the way they should be about her eyes.

“Days and weeks pass. He sees the ugly sow often just inside the woods, watching him. He yells and throws things but she remains. After a while he thinks maybe she isn’t all bad. She makes his garbage pile smaller. Just so long as he does not have to see her groveling in

it or smell her. Just as long as she stays out of his sight, maybe it isn’t so bad that she comes around after all. But when he sees her he cusses her and says cruel and filthy things to her.

“The full of the autumn Moon comes. That night the farmer sits on his porch looking at the sky. His heart pines for the woman in his dream. Why wasn’t she with him in his daytime? He wonders if he will ever see her again.

“Then, like floating on the wind, she comes from the woods at the side of the house. Her beauty is like a magic spell. He can say nothing but rises to embrace her. Her passion for him is as wild and delicate as an orchid in the deep of the forest. He picks her up and carries her to his bed. To please her and give his love to her is his only wish. Through the long night their love for each other fills the Earth and the Heavens. Not a word is spoken.

“As the Moon moves low in the sky she leaves his bed. He reaches for her but she says, ‘No. No, you must not follow me. I am beautiful to you now because of your kindness tonight. But until you free your heart from the cruelty that buries it we can never be together.’

“‘I can’t live without you.’ He cries. ‘I can’t let you go. Stop.’

“Her tears cover her face, ‘Tomorrow in the sunlight you will see as you always see. And hurt as you always hurt.’ And she ran out the door.

“He jumps up and runs after her. As he comes around the house there is no sight of her. Running towards the woods he hears a noise in the garbage pile. He looks over there and diving under the filth is the ugly sow. His anger explodes and he grabs the pitch fork and thrusts it at her screaming violent horrible things.

“The sow crawls off under the muck towards the woods. She is desperate to escape his wrath. She scuffles into the trees and the farmer hears the crying of his lover in the mouth of the sow. She turns to look at him one last moment before running into the forest. Her face covered with tears and blood. Her eyes are the eyes of his love. He throws the fork down in horror. His cruelty has blinded him and even drove him to strike his beloved. He can not believe what he has done. He calls to her to forgive him. But she is gone. He falls to the ground. The truth of his life is like a spear though his heart.

“The days that follow he searches for her. But it is no good. He only sees the selfishness and cruelty he has inflicted on so many others in his life. He goes to them one at a time and makes amends. He helps his neighbors bring their crops and repair their farms. And they help him make his farm workable once again.

“Time goes on and he becomes a different man. He is thoughtful and kind. Everyone loves him. But his heart still dies every night for the loss of his beloved and the cruelty he inflicted on her. And sometimes he hunts for her through the woods. But there is never a sign.

“Many, many seasons pass and it is autumn again. One night the Moon, she is full, and there is a wild storm with thunder pounding across the sky. A great bolt of lightning strikes the farmer’s cabin. He jolts straight up in his bed. The door blows open and there in the silver light stands his beloved. The room fills with the wind. She steps inside. He does not dare move but watches her as she comes closer. His heart soaring like the storm. She comes to his bed and stays with him till the end of his years.”

Please let us know how this story has touched you.
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