by Susan Meddaugh.
Houghton Mifflin Co, 1995
Susan Meddaugh begins this humorous tale by making us wonder whether the main character is relating a real experience or creating an elaborate excuse. "Yesterday my whole family met me at the door. They wanted to know why I didn't go to school. So I told them the true story. It's not MY fault. It's..." There follows the story of how a small pig got on the wrong bus and ended up far from home. When she took a short-cut through the woods she was captured by a hungry wolf who carried her to his cave and forced her to help him make soup. Because the wolf didn't want to admit he couldn't read the recipe book, the pig was able to trick him into picking poison ivy leaves, which she told him were an important ingredient for the soup. Then she made the wolf believe that she had given him the "hog-eye" when he started to itch all over. She told the wolf she would release the "hog-eye" spell after he let her go. The book is another satisfying tale for young readers about how the small and weak can use their wits to defeat the powerful. It also teases with the questions about the pig's veracity.
