Juan Rogelio was born to the fields. His life was measured by planting, hoeing, harvesting. As he grew up he was happy in the fields. But he was much happier once he had his own small farm. It wasn’t much, but his uncle had left him enough land to live, to grow food, to tend animals, to sell some of what he raised to pay the taxes and raise his family. It was a life of hard work. But a good life.
One day Juan Rogelio went into his house after checking the fields in the pre-dawn light. He said to his wife, Renata, “We have a pig.”
“We do not have a pig,” replied Renata.
“ Well, yes, we do not own a pig, though I have dreamed of owning a pig many times. We have a visiting pig. It visited our watermelons last night and ate many.” Juan Rogelio was upset. He cherished his watermelons and they were a good cash crop.
Renata was also concerned, “What will you do about this pig?” she asked her husband.
Juan Rogelio stood up straight, looked Renata in the eyes, and said, “I will catch this pig. We will then have a pig and also save the watermelons.”
Juan Rogelio had a problem. He did not know how to catch a pig. He thought it would be best if he consulted with experts on the subject. He then went up the dirt road to the small village of San Cristobol to consult with the experts. The experts were 3 old farmers that hung out by day at the bus stop on the hiway and told tales.
Juan Rogelio walked up to the 3 old farmers and said, “Good Day, how are you?” They answered in the customary manner of all Mexicans. “Very good, and how are you?”
Once the formalities were done Juan Rolegio said, “I have a pig.”
One of the old farmers said, “Oh yes, you have a pig.”
Juan Rogelio answered, “Well, I do not really have the pig. The pig has me. It is a visiting pig and it comes at night and eats my watermelons. How can I catch this pig?”
The first old farmer said, “This is an easy matter.” The second old farmer said, “Get yourself a half loaf of bread.” Then the third old farmer said, “And buy for the pig a liter of cane alcohol.” The third old farmer then said, “Soak ½ the loaf of bread in a quarter liter of cane alcohol.” Then the first old farmer said, “Then set the loaf of bread which has been soaked in the cana on the ground near the watermelons.” And the second old farmer said, “Then wait for the pig to eat the bread.” The third old farmer said, “When the pig passes out you will drag it to a pen. Then you will have a pig.” And the first old farmer added, “You will have a pig and save the watermelons.”
Juan Rogelio went home with all the ingredients to catch a pig. He built a pen with vegetable pallets and sticks as a home for the pig. He did as the old farmers said. He waited until the pig came in the night. The pig came to the watermelons, saw the loaf of bread with the cana. It then ate the loaf of bread, ate many watermelons, then teetered off into the night.
The next day Juan Rogelio went to the bus stop to talk to the 3 old farmers. He said, “I did not catch the pig. It ate the bread and cana, ate some beautiful watermelons, then it teetered off. I searched and did not find a passed out pig. In fact, I found no pig.”
The first old farmer said, “You have a big pig.” The second old farmer said, “You will need a full loaf of bread and ½ liter of cana.” The third old farmer said, “Then this pig will get very drunk and you can catch it.”
Juan Rogelio looked at the three old farmers and blinked. He said, “Si, I will do as you say.”
Juan Rogelio went home and soaked a full loaf of bread with a ½ liter of alcohol of cana and left it near the watermelons. This time the pig ate the bread with the ½ liter of cana, ate a few watermelons, then staggered off into the night.
The next day Juan Rogelio went to the bus stop to talk to the 3 old farmers. He said, “I did not catch the pig. It ate the bread and ½ liter of cana, ate some beautiful watermelons, then it staggered off. I searched and did not find a passed out pig. In fact, I found no pig.”
The first old farmer said, “You have a very big pig.” The second old farmer said, “You will need a full loaf of bread and 1 liter of cana.” The third old farmer said, “Then this pig will get very drunk and pass out very quickly and you can catch it.”
Juan Rogelio looked at the three old farmers and blinked. He said, “Si, I will do as you say.”
But his time Juan Rogelio thought for himself. He soaked the full loaf of bread in 1 liter of cana and then set it inside the small pig pen that he had built himself with vegetable pallets and sticks. He set a trap door with a stick support and a string run off toward his house. That night he waited by the light of a ½ moon. The pig came and it sniffed the pen. It then went inside. It appeared that the pig had developed a fondness for the cana. At that moment Juan Rogelio pulled the string and the trap door shut. He then went to the trap door and set a stick across the trap door to lock it and prevent the escape of the pig. The pig ate the bread soaked in the 1 liter of cana. The pig looked at Juan Rogelio. Juan Rogelio looked at the pig. Then the pig lay down in the pig pen made of vegetable pallets and sticks and went to sleep.
The next day the pig was awake in the pen. It was a big pig. Juan Rogelio gave it water for its hangover and a few small watermelons. The pig drank and ate. Juan Rogelio named the pig. He called it Pig Number 1.
2 years later Juan Rogelio woke early as usual. He looked over at his wife Renata and said, “I have always wanted a pig and now we have many.”
“How many pigs do we have now,” asked Renata.
“With yesterday’s successful birth of a large litter we now have 26 pigs.”
Renata replied, “Yes, that is many pigs.”
Juan Rogelio answered, “Yes, we are rich in pigs.”
And that is the story of Juan Rogelio, Renata, the three old farmers, and how to catch a pig.
