"Hey, slow down!" she yelled.   "Geez, what's all the hurry?"  

"You aren't supposed to say Geez," Freddy said as he stopped and looked at her.   "My Pa said it is a swear word."  

"Oh, it is not!"  

"Uh huh.   Pa said it was so it is...and...you shouldn't say it anymore."  

"Well I hear Davey say it all the time!"  

"That don't mean it ain't a swear word.   He might swear."  

"My brother don't swear, Freddy Z.   So there."  

Freddy IS a brat. Emmy thought to herself.  

"Well, just don't say it where my Ma can hear ya.   Okay?"  

"Okay...but it ain't no swear word!"  

Freddy blew out a breath..."Come on.   I wanna show you something in the barn."  

Emmy followed Freddy along toward the barn.   At least he wasn't dragging her anymore.  

Even though Freddy was a year younger than Emmy, he was taller and stronger and when he ran, she had a hard time keeping up with him.  

Freddy grabbed the handle on the side barn door and slid it open.   Dust motes hung in the air and Emmy could hear the horses nicker to them.  

Freddy put a finger to his lips.   "Shh...you gotta be real quiet."  

Emmy and Freddy crept along slowly.   Emmy was trying to be as quiet as she could.  

Freddy stopped and pointed.   There in a small wooden railed pen, lying on a pile of clean, golden straw, was a tiny pink baby pig.  

"Oh, Freddy, he is so cute.   Where did you get him?"  

"Remember that mother pig your Pa sold to my Pa?"  

"Yes, last fall.   I remember."  

"Well, she had a whole bunch of baby pigs.   This little one was the smallest.   She doesn't have enough milkers for all of them to nurse at.   Besides he is so small, the other piglets push him away and he wasn't getting any milk."  

"Oh."  

"Pa said I could have it for a pet, but I gotta feed it warm milk twice a day."  

"How do you feed it?"  

"With a bottle my Ma made.   Last year I had a baby lamb.   Remember Sluggo?"  

"Yeah, I remember.   He got bigger and bigger and your Papa made you send him off to market.   I saw you cry that day."  

"I never did cry!"  

"Yes, you did."  

Baby brat. Emmy thought.  

"I did not!   I had a really bad cold that day and my eyes were running."  

"Sorry, Freddy," Emmy said as she reached out to pat him on the arm.   "You know how it is on a farm.   Sometimes animals have to go off to market."  

Freddy wiped at his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.  

"I know.   Anyways, I am using that same bottle my Ma made for me, to feed Schnickle Fritz."  

"Schnickle...what?"  

"Schnickle Fritz.   That's the pig's name."  

"Oh...that's a really nice name, Freddy," Emmy said, not really meaning it.   It sounded pretty silly to her.   Silly name for a pig anyway.  

"Pa built this little pen for him and I helped.   We had to get him away from his ma because she kept trying to bite him.   She pushed him away and was real mean to him."  

Just then Emmy heard a small grunt and the little pink pig opened his eyes.   He stood up and wobbled on his little legs.  

He stumbled over to the side of the pen and stuck his snout through the slats.  

"I think he's hungry," Emmy said.  

"Yup.   I didn't feed him his breakfast yet.   i was waiting for you to get here so you could watch."  

"Can I help?"  

"I guess so, but you gotta be careful.   He tugs at the bottle so hard that he might pull it right outta your hand.   Girls aren't very strong."  

Emmy turned and looked at Freddy and rolled her eyes.  

"I'm sure I'll be able to manage."