Monday, November 12, 2007

Flying pigs

To continue from my previous post: I didn't invent the notion of being killed by a falling pig. This did happen to someone, or at least I feel it did. Some French or Italian writer: Baudelaire or Dante or someone. Or possibly a Pole. Someone European, anyway. The pig was in an upstairs room and jumped out of the window. Splat.

I thought I could easily find out who it was by Googling "died when pig fell on head" or words to that effect, but alas, I only got references to works of fiction, eg "A Happy Vacancy" by Stephen Dobyns, about a falling pig crushing a distinguished poet in Boston.

I'm sure I didn't make the European version up. I'm sure I was told about it years ago by someone authoritative, like a lecturer at my university. But maybe it's an urban myth. Anyway, I always thought it was an unfortunately ridiculous way to go. The Pantheon roof would be more dignified.

Can anyone help me about the pig story?

Meanwhile I must go and have my bath: it's midnight 34. Isn't that a lovely lily above, though? Not to say a splendid cat below?



9 comments:

  1. Is this the one? http://nbu.bg/webs/amb/british/6/greene/accident.htm

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  2. Hehe, now we are all scrambling to find the story of the falling pig...

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  3. gorgeous lily - terrific cat...still can't get over how big they are getting

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  4. Hmmm, what are you guys smoking over there??? LOL. Love the little catlet -- hey, are you going to have to guard them on Halloween? My parents have a black cat and they wouldn't let her out on Halloween -- they were afraid someone might take her -- apparently it's not unheard of around here.

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  5. there was a tale about a baby squirrel falling out of a tree and landing on someone's head..

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  6. Lovely and splendid, indeed! Must go and check on the falling pigs story ...

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  7. Seriously gorgeous Black Cat.

    Off the read of pigs.

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  8. Awww...look at the expression on Puss's face - sheer bliss! Don't you just loving losing your fingers in their fur around their tummy? It is sooooo soft.

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  9. Wasn't it a Graham Greene story?

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