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|  Diana Malivani
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|  The Happy Little Pigs
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   Diana Malivani


   The Happy

   Little Pigs




   An Illustrated Story in Verse


   Translated from Russian into English by

   Mark Herman and Ronnie Apter



   Illustrated by the Author

   Book Design:
   BOOKNOOK.BIZ – www.booknook.biz

   Cover Design:
   DIGITALspin – www.bookcoverart.webs.com


   All rights reserved.
   No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the copyright owner.
   Copyright © 2015 by Snoutie Agency Limited (UK)
   (Registered in England & Wales, Number: 08496424)

   SNOUTIE AGENCY LIMITED (UK)
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   London, England, WC1A 1HB
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   E-mail:
   agency@snoutie.com




   One Day in the Lives of the Happy Little Pigs (an Illustrated Story in Verse)




   For a little girl named Michelle




   The Author would like to express her deep gratitude to her husband for his support and assistance with this book




   Table of Contents



   The Happy Little Pigs

   The Author

   Other books by the Author



   The Happy Little Pigs



   Beside a shady river bank,
   Where oaks grow tall and stout,
   Stood a cozy cottage,
   The household of the Snouts.
   



   The father – an imposing Boar,
   His wife – Madame Oinklette,
   The stylish loving mother
   Of their piglet octet.
   



   Eight charming children -
   A rapidly growing crew -
   Each little nose turned up,
   Each tail a curlicue.
   



   Each pink child delightful,
   Their parents’ pride and joy,
   One piglette, a little girl,
   And seven mischievous boys.
   



   Piglet eight was the smartest:
   At school he learned to write
   And count up to a hundred.
   That little boy was bright!
   



   The seventh was athletic:
   Not one to rest, he’d rather
   Race around on roller skates
   And play ball with his father.
   



   Piglet six was the boldest,
   So brave he dared to poke
   A wolf, then swim across the river
   And clamber up an oak.
   



   Piglet five was portentous,
   Serious and urbane,
   Giving advice to all he met
   As he walked along with his cane.
   



   Piglet four was the plumpest:
   He ate and ate and ate.
   He’d race to sit at the table
   And ravage plate after plate.
   



   Piglet three was the kindest:
   He always helped his mother,
   His father, and his sister,
   And played with his baby brothers.
   



   Piglet two was creative:
   His poetry excelled.
   He loved to look at the sky
   And loved to draw pastels.
   



   And then there was little Oinkletta
   Who was her father’s pet,
   Mischievous and stylish,
   A beautiful piglette.
   



   Whenever they go out to play,
   All eight of them play hard,
   Running around and squealing
   In their own back yard.
   



   Early in the morning, Papa Boar
   Rises from his bed,
   Counts the tails of his children
   And pats their sleepy heads.
   



   He wakes them up with gentle oinks
   And sets them on the path
   Leading to the river
   For their morning bath.
   



   They all run through the morning dew
   And every neighbor sees
   The happy piglet children.
   Papa Boar is pleased.
   



   Squealing and screaming and hammering hooves,
   The morning bath is a great success!
   Eight happily wagging tails,
   Eight piglets out of breath!
   



   Rub-a-dub-dub goes Papa Boar
   Amid the happy shouts.
   He scrubs their cute little curlicue tails,
   And scrubs their snub little snouts.
   



   Now their baths are finished.
   They’re clean from tail to chin,
   And so they run to Mama:
   Breakfast is about to begin!
   



   Steaming mugs of cocoa,
   Pancakes topped with cherries,
   Cheese tarts with clotted cream,
   And fresh sweet blueberries.
   



   Tying on their napkins,
   The whole piglet brood,
   Grunts and oinks happily
   And digs into the food.
   



   Papa and Mama agree:
   «We are not prejudiced.
   All eight are pink and perfect.
   No better piglets exist!»
   



   Into the yard they gaily go
   To get some exercise,
   To water flowers, play ball,
   And chase blue butterflies.
   



   They jump rope and play leapfrog,
   And then the entire group
   Runs to the stream to catch fish
   For Mama’s special soup.
   



   One of them took a basket
   To gather acorns. He snuffled
   Beneath the oak trees,
   Hoping to find a truffle.
   



   Caring Mama Oinklette
   Gives a long loud cry,
   «Soo-Ee! Come home!
   The sun has left the sky.»
   



   All tuckered out, the piggies oink
   And, two by two, start trooping
   Home after a busy day,
   Their pink snouts drooping.
   



   They soak in a fragrant bubble bath,
   All seven sons and the daughter.
   They jump and play and splash about,
   Their hooves churning the water.
   



   Next food, and then, their bellies gorged,
   They all prepare to sleep.
   They bounce a bit, then snuggle up
   In a piglet heap.
   



   The piglets settle down
   So Mama will begin.
   At night she reads to them,
   Once they are all tucked in.
   



   She embraces her eight children,
   Gives every piglet a pat,
   Reads them fables and fairy tales
   And their favorite: The Cat in the Hat.
   



   They have lain down together,
   Touching side by side.
   Papa looks in on his children,
   Stroking his snout in pride.
   



   «Oink oink!» says Mama Sow,
   «Tomorrow will be bright,
   A brand-new sunny day.
   But now, good night, sleep tight!»
   



   About the Author
   
   An author and illustrator of children’s books, Diana Malivani lives in Paris, France, where she raises her young daughter Michelle, for whom this tale was originally written. Diana is a Doctor of Medicine (M.D., Ph.D.), specializing in sports medicine and nutrition, with extensive experience in the fitness industry. Diana is passionate about oil painting and preparing tasty and healthy dishes according to her own recipes.



   Other books by the Author
   English Edition
   Snoutie and his Friends
   The Great White Rabbit
   Bazilio and the Little Mice
   The Happy Little Pigs
   The Little Honey Bears
   The Gnome Magicians
   The Little Lost Elephant
   The Little Mouse Musicians
   French Edition
   Snoutie et ses Amis
   Lapin Blanc Le Magnifique
   Bazilio et les Souriceaux
   Les Petits Cochons Heureux
   Les Oursons de Miel
   Les Nains Magiciens
   Le Petit Éléphant Perdu
   Les Souriceaux Musiciens
   German Edition
   Snoutie und seine Freunde
   Der Große Weiße Hase
   Bazilio un die Kleinen Mäuse
   Die Fröhlichen Kleinen Schweinchen
   Die Kleinen Honigbären
   Die Zwergen-Zauberer
   Der Verlorene Kleine Elefant
   Die Kleinen Mäusemusikanten