The Pickwick Papers

Please do not confuse this with Charles Dickens first novel.

This is a different Pickwick and the name of the book- Pig Tale. Then why Pickwick Papers, you may ask. Well, the protagonist of this story is a small piglet called Pickwick who is very mischievous and teases all the animals on the farm despite his mother’s scolding and how he learns a lesson when an angry swan twirls him around in the air and his tail becomes permanently curled. Papers? Because the book is in tatters and is a just a few pages or papers barely held together.

Moth-eaten, frayed edges, brownish pages about to fragment and the musty smell which comes over years of existence is the condition of this book today. Gingerly, I pick up the book and turn the first page and a sense of pride envelops me — My first experience of effort & reward! Yes, the prize I won in Nursery II ( UKG) more than half a century ago.

I recall the days a little over 25 years ago, when ‘Pig Tale’ inspired my daughter who had just started schooling, to say that she too will this book as a prize in school. Though she did not win the same book, she won many others  and is today a successful Mom Blogger with her band of faithful followers who lap up whatever stuff she dishes out.

The little piglet Pickwick did not stop there. My 2 1/2 year old grand-daughter who has just started Montessori, when told that my school had given me this book as a prize, her eyes opened wide and in her babyish voice said she too will get this book as prize in Montessori House.

Pigs are not for bacon and ham only, they inspire generations. Here I would add a disclaimer  — By ‘pigs’, I meant Pickwick and not me.