West Virginia's Appalachian Music and Literature: Humor

The Neighbor's Pigs

Told by Bonnie Collins

Bonnie Collins is a West Virginia storyteller who lives in Doddridge County, West Virginia. She is co-author of Rocks in My Pocket. Mrs. Collins has received several awards: Vandalia Award, Sammy Award, Distinguished West Virginian Award, and the Good Samaritan Award for a lifetime of service to mankind.

Collins was interviewed on All Things Considered, National Public Radio, Saturday, May 27, 2006, while serving as a judge at the WV Liars Contest (at age 90). The web page "Tall Tales from West Virginia's Top 'Liars'" at NPR.org contains audio and photos, including humorous tales told by Lepp and Collins and Bill Lepp.

 Listen to Bonnie Collins tell the story of her neighbor and his pigs.

This man of my acquaintance raised pigs, and his house was high up on the hill and the front porch was high off the ground, so he just boxed it up and raised pigs in there. Well, people complained, and the county sanitarian came out and said, "Mr. So-and-So, you can't do this."

"Well, why not? It's a free country."

He said, "Well, you can't do this. It isn't sanitary."

He said, "What d'you mean? Sanitary?"

"Well, it's not healthy."

He said, "The heck it ain't. I ain't lost a hog yet."

Illustration by Mark Clayton

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